CAJU promotes debate on youth and artificial intelligence in education

“They talk so much about a new era / they almost forget the eternal is.” Gilberto Gil’s verses echoed as a starting point for the XII Forum of the Youth Care Center (CAJU), held on Friday (3), in the Cabula Campus Auditorium. With the theme “Artificial Intelligence in Education: arts and artifices,” the meeting brought together students, teachers, young apprentices, and researchers to reflect on the impacts of AI on academic training and the ethical production of science and technology. Professor Luíza Ribeiro, director of Artistic and Cultural Development at Bahiana, emphasized the forum's collective nature: "The connection between universities, schools, and communities is essential for us to envision an education that unites ethics, science, and technology. It is in this encounter between generations that learning expands."

The opening lecture was led by Professor Edméa dos Santos (UFRRJ/UERJ), who has been researching education and cyberculture for decades. For her, the advancement of generative artificial intelligence marks a profound shift in the way we produce knowledge: "AIs are changing our ways of creating and thinking. But we need to challenge this field and combat algorithmic racism, data colonialism, and include non-white, non-urban, and non-male people in technology production." In a poetic and political speech, Professor Fábio Giorgio, coordinator of CAJU, reminded us that the topic is "unavoidable" and must be addressed with listening and presence: "There are many aspects to the debate surrounding AI. Some fear the replacement of humans, others see new possibilities. Our role is to reflect on the limits and potential of this time."

Amanda Sobral, a sixth-semester Psychology student and forum moderator, highlighted the human dimension that no machine can match: "Artificial intelligence lacks presence. And it's presence that makes human work happen—the seeing, the feeling, the building together. It can support, but not replace." Thiago Simas, a student at Roberto Santos State School, said he uses AI to support learning, but with caution: "It depends on how we use it. If it's just meant to replace effort, it ends up hindering more than helping." The morning concluded with a roundtable discussion moderated by Professor Marco Silva (UERJ) and a jam session by the Itapagipe Peninsula Young Protagonists Network (Reprotai). Integrating art, music, and technology, the moment reaffirmed that, compared to machines, the human remains the greatest resource.