Mathematics research seminar explores the future of education in the Age of AI

Ateneo de Manila University's Department of Mathematics hosted a session of its Mathematics Research Seminar Series on 13 January 2026, featuring Dr David Becerra Alonso, Associate Professor at Universidad Loyola Andalucía. The seminar, titled “The Future of Education in the Age of AI,” was held at SEC A 303–304, with an option for participants to join online.

In his talk, Dr Becerra Alonso examined how the rapid integration of artificial intelligence is reshaping the educational landscape. He discussed how AI systems are increasingly influencing access to information, assessment, and feedback, raising new questions about knowledge transmission, authorship, and evaluation. 

The seminar highlighted how classrooms may shift from traditional content delivery toward learning environments that emphasize interpretation, critical thinking, and collaborative sense-making. In this context, artificial intelligence can serve as a tutor providing immediate feedback, a simulator for exploring complex problems, and a cognitive tool that supports analytical and creative thinking. As information retrieval becomes increasingly automated, classroom time may focus more on discussion, problem-solving, and the critical evaluation of ideas.

Dr Becerra Alonso also emphasized the evolving roles of educators and students in this changing environment. Teachers increasingly act as designers of learning experiences and mentors in ethical and critical reasoning, while students become active participants in knowledge creation by learning to question and evaluate AI-generated outputs.

Rather than replacing educators, AI was presented as a catalyst for rethinking how teaching, learning, and assessment are defined. Dr Becerra Alonso noted that the future of education will depend not only on technological advances but also on the ability of institutions to cultivate responsibility, trust, and intellectual autonomy in an AI-mediated world.

Dr Becerra Alonso earned his undergraduate degree from the Universidad de Córdoba, an MSc in Bioinformatics from the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía, and his doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland. His research spans a wide range of topics, including sustainable development goal–labeled research, intimate partner femicide analysis, machine-learning applications in electric energy consumption, mathematics learning, and dynamical systems. He is currently involved in the Erasmus+ project SAPIENS (Skill Assessment for Personalised Competence) and has participated in numerous research collaborations and software development initiatives. He has also served as a visiting researcher and lecturer in institutions across Austria, Uruguay, Canada, and other countries.