Speaker Announcement: Understanding Tensions Between Generative AI and Open Education Principles - Prof. Robert Farrow

About the Presentation

Generative AI offers significant opportunities to advance open education, with its potential recognized by influential organizations such as UNESCO and leading scholars in the field. However, the growing adoption of these technologies also raises important questions about their compatibility with the core values of openness.

In this presentation, Professor Farrow will examine several key tensions, including human versus machine-generated educational resources, intellectual property and copyright, biases embedded in AI training data, and concerns about trust and reliability.

Drawing on current research and ongoing debates, he will discuss how these unresolved challenges continue to shape open educational practices, particularly in areas where legal precedents remain limited.

The presentation will emphasize a central challenge for open educators: how to embrace emerging technological opportunities while preserving the fundamental values and principles of open education.
 

About the Speaker

Professor Robert Farrow, PhD, SFHEA is Professor of Critical Educational Technology and Postgraduate Research Convenor at the Institute of Educational Technology (IET), The Open University, UK.

With an academic background in philosophy, including a PhD from the University of Essex, his research brings a critical perspective to educational technology, open education, and the social implications of technological change.

Since 2009, Professor Farrow has contributed to numerous international research initiatives, including EU-funded projects such as MOTILL, EU4ALL, BizMOOC, and ENCORE+, alongside major open education initiatives such as the OER Research Hub, OER World Map, Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN), and UK Open Textbooks.

He has delivered invited lectures and keynote presentations internationally, including in Australia, China, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, South Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom. He has also served as a reviewer for more than 50 academic journals across education, philosophy, and technology.

At Open Futures 2026, Professor Farrow will bring a critical perspective to the evolving relationship between generative AI and open education, contributing to wider discussions on building fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable higher education systems in the Asia-Pacific region.