![Michael Gerlich MSN]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1773419550/aaie/ywoxorumvr7bsikvc4g4/MichaelGerlich.svg","width":500}])
Biography
about Dr. Michael Gerlich
AAIE Executive Leadership Series
Leading Human Intelligence in an Age of Artificial Intelligence
Govern with Courage. Lead with Clarity. Protect Deep Thinking.
Join AAIE, in cooperation with the Swiss Business School (SBS) and inspired by the International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) for an Executive Leadership Learning Series exploring the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in schools and the leadership questions it raises.
This Executive Learning Series brings together senior school leaders and experts from the field for focused conversations, expert perspectives, and peer exchange around complex issues -- offering a space to step back, think strategically, and learn alongside colleagues navigating the same challenges.
Our Speakers
![Michael Gerlich MSN]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1773418747/aaie/ecge5hghqcxk38ycrgpx/PascalMariany.svg","width":500}])
![Michael Gerlich MSN]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1773423031/aaie/kwhzb4bwbcyhvyc8ykem/CraigGibbs.svg","width":500}])
These sessions are guided by thought leaders from higher education—where early innovation, research, and experimentation with AI in education are also taking place. These Executive Briefs are designed as conversations with experts who are navigating these changes firsthand.
Rather than traditional presentations, the series creates space for meaningful dialogue with those shaping how artificial intelligence is thoughtfully understood and applied within educational institutions. By learning directly from these experts and practitioners, participants gain practical insight into how AI is influencing the future of education and what it means for schools moving forward.
These one-hour sessions are reserved for senior leaders of AAIE Member Schools.
As higher education institutions and global business organizations confront significant shifts in authority, ethics, productivity, and cognitive responsibility, AAIE seeks to help guide international school leaders in examining these developments through a strategic and governance-focused lens. By learning from how these sectors are responding, our community can lead proactively, anchoring AI integration in clarity, ethical leadership, and a sustained commitment to deep thinking and human judgment.
"In schools, AI should strengthen human decision-making, not displace it. The task now is to define where human judgement remains non-negotiable."
- Dr. Michael Gerlich
Mark your Calendars and Register for all three Executive Briefs
Executive Brief 1
Dr. Michael Gerlich
Day 1: Monday, May 11 at 8:00 AM ET (NYC time) - 1:00 PM UTC
Leadership, Authority, and the Cognitive Consequences of AI with Dr. Michael Gerlich
Dr. Michael Gerlich’s research highlights a critical concern: as trust in algorithmic outputs increases, human contestation decreases. Leaders may defer to AI suggestions without intentional examination. The leadership question becomes: Who holds authority when AI recommendations enter decision-making spaces?
Leaders will examine:
- Where is AI already shaping decisions in our school?
- Have we defined human override authority?
- What governance clarity is needed immediately?
Executive Brief 2
Pascal Mariany
Day 2: Tuesday, May 12 at 8:00 AM ET (NYC time) - 1:00 PM UTC
Designing AI for Education - The EduGPT Approach with Pascal Mariany
EduChatGPT and similar generative AI tools are not peripheral technologies. They are embedded thought partners. They influence: Communication drafting, Strategic planning, Curriculum design, Assessment creation, and Data analysis. As normalization increases, expectations shift. The central leadership question: How do we ensure AI enhances human intelligence rather than gradually replacing it?
Senior leaders must address:
- Transparency norms for adult and student AI use
- Policy evolution beyond plagiarism
- Critical thinking support of students and staff
- AI literacy expectations for leadership
- Ethical oversight frameworks
AI cannot operate in cultural ambiguity.
Leaders examine:
- Can Generative AI be implemented in schools to support critical thinking and avoid cognitive offloading?
- How is EduGPT different from ChatGPT and other chatbots?
- What are the experiences with EduGPT in schools?
Executive Brief 3
Dr. Craig Gibbs
Day 3: Wednesday, May 13 at 8:00 AM ET (NYC time) - 1:00 PM UTC
Trust, Ethics, and Governance in AI-Enabled Schools with Dr. Craig Gibbs
AI is not merely altering instructional practice — it is reshaping leadership authority, ethical accountability, and the cognitive culture of schools. Drawing on research around cognitive offloading and algorithmic trust, we will examine how generative AI may: Reduce intellectual struggle and persistence, normalize machine-supported thinking, shift perceptions of expertise and authorship, and quietly redistribute authority from professionals to systems
For Heads of School, this is not a technology discussion. It is a leadership and ethical responsibility discussion.
When AI influences thinking, analysis, and communication, what remains distinctly human — and who safeguards it?
- AI governance in schools is a leadership issue shaped by trust, accountability, and institutional values - not only a matter of technical compliance.
- School leaders must decide where AI can support practice and where human judgment, oversight, and responsibility must remain decisive.
- Student privacy, safeguarding, fairness, and transparency must guide any use of AI in teaching, administration, or decision-making.
- AI policies signal what a school stands for and can either strengthen or weaken trust among staff, students, parents, and governors.
What responsibility do leaders have to ensure that AI use supports educational integrity, professional judgement, and trust within the school community?
Should the use of AI by faculty and school leaders be disclosed, and if so, in what contexts?
Where do the boundaries of ethical modelling begin and end for those in positions of educational leadership?
When generative AI drafts communications, synthesizes reports, or supports decision-making, how does this affect perceptions of leadership authenticity and trust?
If you have any questions, contact AAIE at info@aaie.org
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