EEASC 2026 Conference Camp Compass

Artificial Intelligence (AI) must serve environmental education, not redefine it. Yet most professional development focuses on how to use AI, not whether or when we should. This interactive session examines AI through three lenses: the good, how it might support idea generation and data analysis; the bad, how it can mislead, oversimplify, or weaken authentic connection to people and place; and the ugly, the hidden environmental, social, and ethical costs with its use. Rather than promoting or dismissing AI, this session initiates the process for environmental educators to critically assess AI’s role, if any, in their work.
Participants will engage in small and large group discussions and collaborative brainstorming to evaluate real-world examples in using AI. Through guided reflection and movement-based activities, attendees will practice asking the essential questions that must come before adopting AI tools. Participants will leave with a Before You Use AI Field Card, a concise tool to help environmental educators pause and evaluate AI decisions before adopting them.