Notes from A Community Workshop: Teaching AI Was Never Really About AI
- Miki Lau
- Jul 15
- 4 min read
When I was invited to deliver an introductory AI workshop for older adults at ACE IT Scotland, I spent a great deal of time thinking about what should be included. Artificial intelligence is advancing at an extraordinary pace, and every week seems to bring another breakthrough, another tool, or another headline predicting how AI will transform our lives.
The obvious approach would have been to explain how large language models (LLM) work, introduce popular AI applications, or demonstrate the latest features of ChatGPT, Gemini, or DeepSeek.
Instead, I began with a much simpler question.
"What does AI mean for me?"
That single question shaped the entire workshop.
Designing for People, Not Technology
One lesson I have learned from designing educational experiences is that people rarely engage with technology because of the technology itself.
They engage because it helps them solve problems, reduces uncertainty, or simply makes everyday life a little easier.
The participants attending the workshop came from diverse backgrounds. Some had heard about AI through television news. Others had tried AI applications once or twice. Many were simply curious. Few were interested in technical definitions.
This reminded me that digital education should begin with people's experiences rather than technical concepts.
Instead of starting with algorithms or machine learning, we explored questions that felt immediately relevant.
What exactly is AI?
Where do we already encounter AI in everyday life?
Why is everyone suddenly talking about it?
Should we be worried?
Only after these conversations did we begin exploring how AI works, its opportunities, and its limitations.
Curiosity Is More Powerful Than Confidence
Before the workshop, I assumed that some participants might feel intimidated by AI.
What surprised me was that fear was rarely the dominant emotion.
Curiosity was.
People were genuinely interested in understanding what AI could and could not do. Their questions were thoughtful rather than technical.
Can AI make mistakes?
How do I know whether something online is real?
Can AI help me communicate with family?
Should I trust AI when looking for information?
These questions revealed something important.
People were not asking how to become AI experts.
They were asking how to remain informed citizens in an increasingly AI-powered world.
That distinction matters.
AI Literacy Is About Judgement
One section of the workshop focused on misinformation, privacy, and AI-generated scams.
Rather than encouraging participants to distrust AI completely, we discussed a more balanced approach.
Technology itself is rarely the problem.
Our relationship with technology is.
We talked about checking information before sharing it, protecting personal data, and recognising that AI-generated responses should support—not replace—human judgement.
Throughout the session, I kept returning to one simple message.
AI is a tool. Humans remain the decision-makers.
This idea resonated with many participants because it shifted the conversation away from fear towards responsibility.
What Changed My Thinking
Although I was the presenter, I left the workshop feeling that I had learned just as much.
The experience reminded me that digital inclusion is not simply about giving people access to technology.
Nor is it about teaching people how to use the latest applications.
It is about creating enough confidence for people to ask questions without feeling embarrassed.
Confidence often comes before competence.
When people feel safe admitting that they do not understand something, learning becomes possible.
This is true whether we are teaching AI, digital skills, or any emerging technology.
Beyond Digital Skills
In recent years, conversations about AI literacy have often focused on prompts, productivity tools, or automation.
These are undoubtedly valuable.
Yet community workshops remind us that AI literacy is equally about critical thinking, ethical judgement, and informed decision-making.
Helping people ask better questions may ultimately be more valuable than teaching them better prompts.
Perhaps the goal of AI education is not to produce experts.
Perhaps it is to help people feel capable of navigating an uncertain technological future with curiosity rather than fear.
Questions I'm Still Thinking About
As I reflected on the workshop afterwards, several questions stayed with me:
How can we make AI education more accessible for communities with diverse digital experiences?
What does meaningful AI literacy look like beyond schools and universities?
How can educators design learning experiences that build confidence before competence?
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, what kinds of human judgement become even more important?
These questions continue to shape my own work in education, service design, and digital inclusion.
Final Reflection
Looking back, I no longer think this workshop was primarily about artificial intelligence.
It was about creating a space where people felt comfortable exploring unfamiliar technology together.
It was about reducing uncertainty.
It was about encouraging thoughtful conversations instead of providing perfect answers.
Most importantly, it reminded me that good educational design always begins with people.
Technology may continue to evolve.
But meaningful learning will always begin with curiosity, conversation, and human connection.
Field Note
The most memorable part of the workshop wasn't explaining AI. It was watching uncertainty gradually turn into curiosity. Perhaps that is what meaningful education has always been about.
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