About This Episode
In this episode of EDU Unlocked, Dan Bowen joins Ashish Fernando to dive deep into the evolving role of artificial intelligence in education. Dan brings a unique blend of experience from classroom teaching and school improvement leadership to enterprise technology strategy at Microsoft and shares how he thinks about the intersection of learning, leadership, and AI.
As co-host of the AI in Education Podcast, Dan has been at the forefront of conversations about how schools, universities, and systems can responsibly adopt and leverage AI in teaching, learning, and strategy. He explores practical challenges educators face, the pitfalls and potentials of generative AI tools, and why human-centric perspectives remain indispensable even as technology rapidly advances.
Host & Guest
Dan Bowen
GuestDan Bowen is a dynamic leader, speaker, and lifelong learner, currently residing in Sydney, Australia, where he leads technology and industry strategy at Microsoft. With a career spanning education, government, defense, and technology, Dan is passionate about driving innovation, equity, and transformational change across all sectors.
Dan’s journey began as a classroom teacher and extended to advisory roles with the UK government’s National Strategies, school improvement programs, and as an Ofsted school inspector. He also served as a Higher Education Blended Learning advisor at Western Sydney University, supporting quality learning and teaching initiatives. His experience further includes work in defense across Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland with the British Royal Navy, police, prison, and fire services.
With a background in computer science and education, Dan combines technical expertise with creative thinking to empower individuals and organizations to achieve more. He is an advocate for equity and diversity, using his influence to drive initiatives that transform education and unlock the potential of others.
Dan is pursuing a PhD in AI, focused on Change and Complexity in Learning, and serves as an external academic and industry advisor with AI in Education Oxford University (AIEOU). He is also a published author of the British Computer Society Glossary of Computing Terms and hosts the AI in Education podcast, which he started in 2019, exploring the intersection of technology, learning, and leadership.
Outside of work, Dan enjoys building guitars, blending his technical and creative skills, and exploring opportunities that push himself and others out of their comfort zones, believing that growth happens through challenge.
Key Highlights:
1. Leads technology and industry strategy at Microsoft, Sydney
2. Former teacher, school inspector, and UK government education advisor
3. Higher Education Blended Learning advisor at Western Sydney University
4. Defense sector experience across UK military, police, prison, and fire services
5. PhD candidate in AI (Change and Complexity in Learning)
6. External academic and industry advisor, AI in Education Oxford University (AIEOU)
7. Host of the AI in Education podcast since 2019
8. Published author of the British Computer Society Glossary of Computing Terms
9. Advocate for equity, diversity, and transformational educational initiatives
10. Combines technology, creativity, and leadership to empower learners and organizations
Ashish Fernando Founder & CEO, EDMO
HostAshish Fernando is the visionary founder and CEO of EDMO, a revolutionary educational technology platform that's transforming how people learn and grow. With over 15 years of experience in education and technology, Ashish has dedicated his career to making quality education accessible to learners worldwide. Before founding EDMO, Ashish held leadership positions at several prominent EdTech companies and worked as an educational consultant for Fortune 500 companies. He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Master's in Computer Science from MIT. Ashish is a frequent speaker at educational conferences and has been featured in publications such as EdTech Magazine, Learning & Development Today, and TechCrunch. He's passionate about the intersection of technology and human potential, believing that the right tools can unlock extraordinary learning outcomes for everyone. Under his leadership, EDMO has grown to serve over 100,000 learners globally and has partnerships with leading educational institutions and corporations. Ashish continues to drive innovation in personalized learning, adaptive assessment, and educational analytics.
Key Achievements
1. Founded EDMO in 2019, now serving 100,000+ learners globally
2. Named 'EdTech Innovator of the Year' by Learning Technology Awards 2023
3. Featured speaker at Global Education Summit 2024
4. Published researcher in educational technology and learning analytics
5. Advisor to multiple EdTech startups and educational initiatives
Show Notes
- 1 0:00 – AI’s promise and the risk of fragmentation
- 2 0:50 – Welcome to Edu Unlocked & introducing Dan Bowen
- 3 2:13 – From teacher to global edtech leader
- 4 4:07 – Why Microsoft’s mission matters for education
- 5 6:23 – Balancing AI power, policy, and people
- 6 7:55 – Access gaps and the next digital divide
- 7 9:18 – Teaching thinking skills before AI tools
- 8 10:03 – Rethinking assessment in an AI world
- 9 13:34 – Scaling AI safely and ethically
- 10 18:21 – Trust, security, and keeping humans in the loop
- 11 21:08 – Real-world AI use cases beyond education
- 12 29:31 – Humanity, creativity, and the future of AI
- 13 41:00 – Final reflections and closing thoughts
Key Quotes
“AI has the opportunity to raise all boats but the real risk right now is fragmentation. The longer we wait, the wider those gaps will become.”
“If an assessment no longer measures thinking because AI can do it for you, then the problem isn’t AI it’s the assessment.”
“We need to teach people how to think before they use AI otherwise we’re just putting them on cognitive escalators instead of letting them climb the stairs.”
Resources
Supercharge Your University CRM