What’s New with AI? You’re Asking the Wrong Question.

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve had several conversations with clients about artificial intelligence – not new clients, but people I’ve worked with in the past, reaching out with questions like: 

“What’s new with AI?” 

“What changes have you seen since we last worked together a year ago?”

“What are the trends?”

They’re good questions. And, like many good questions, they leads to a better one: Are we using AI to do the same things faster, or are we using it to do different things altogether?

Most people are still focused on the first version –  using AI to write a newsletter, generate a lesson plan, or respond to emails. There’s nothing wrong with that. These use cases save time, and that’s great.

But what excites me most is the second version: leaders, educators, and organizations who are using AI as a lever for transformation, not just efficiency. They’re not just asking, “How can we do what we’ve always done, but faster?” They’re asking, “What could we do now that we couldn’t do before?”

Some are finally tackling long-standing wishlist items: individualized learning pathways, real-time multilingual communication with families, rethinking assessment. Others are responding to a deeper cultural shift, where students (and adults!) are asking age-old questions with new urgency: What is truth? What is knowledge? What does it mean to be human when machines can do so much of what we thought made us unique?

Meanwhile, in the business world, AI adoption is moving full steam ahead. Duolingo has mandated that its employees must use AI in their work. Studies show that companies (and individuals) who embrace AI are not only more efficient, but significantly more profitable. Industries are shifting, and predictions about job replacement percentages are no longer speculative; they’re strategic planning inputs.

And while this is happening, other countries are taking decisive action to prepare their youth. In Ghana, national efforts are underway to build AI literacy across the education system. In China, beginning in September 2025, AI education will be mandatory across all primary and secondary schools. Starting at age six, students will receive a minimum of eight hours of AI instruction each year. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed: elementary students will engage in hands-on, exploratory activities; middle schoolers will study practical applications; and high schoolers will deepen their skills and focus on innovation.

And here in the United States? For the most part…crickets.

That silence is especially troubling in the world of Jewish education, where we aim to prepare students not only for academic success, but for thoughtful, ethical lives of meaning. We should be leading the conversation, not lagging behind it.

The tools are here. The questions are clear. What’s missing is the will (and the support) to help school leaders move from tentative experimentation to confident integration.

So yes, there’s plenty new with AI: new tools, new threats, new opportunities.

But maybe the better question is this: What are you doing with it now that you weren’t doing a year ago?

And an even better one: What are you ready to do differently, now that you can?

As you move into summer mode – planning, visioning, maybe even resting (you’ve earned it) – here are a few questions and ideas to bring into your leadership conversations:

A Summer AI Reflection Checklist for School Leaders

• Vision Check: Are we thinking about AI as a tool to enhance what we already do… or as a catalyst to reimagine what’s possible?

• Student Readiness: Are our students being prepared to live and lead in a world shaped by AI? Do they have basic AI literacy? Critical thinking skills? Ethical grounding?

• Faculty Capacity: Have we offered any structured PD or exploration time for teachers to experiment with AI tools in ways that align with our educational values?

• Values Alignment: How are we framing conversations around AI in Jewish terms? Are we connecting this moment to ideas like b’tzelem Elohim, chochmah, or bal tashchit?

• Equity + Access: Who in our community has access to AI tools and support, and who doesn’t? How are we ensuring this doesn’t become another digital divide?

• Pilot Possibilities: Is there a small, low-stakes place we could pilot an AI-enhanced program this fall – maybe in enrichment, learning support, or Hebrew language?

• Partnership Opportunities: What outside resources, consultants, or networks can support us in moving forward with confidence and integrity?

You don’t need all the answers yet. But you do need to be asking the right questions.

Because readiness is no longer about knowing everything.

It’s about being willing to think differently…and not being the last one to start.