Access vs. Integrity: The Battle Over AI’s Future in Education

On this episode of Big Tech Energy, Taylor's on The PIE Live APAC's debate stage with AI experts from the UK, Spain, Vietnam, Australia, and Korea. The PIE's moderator, Nick Cuthbert, led the showdown to answer: Will AI enhance or damage higher ed? On Team "AI is the Future," you'll hear from Taylor (Stemuli), Jarrad Merlo (Pearson), and President Jaeho Yeom (Taejae University and Presidential Commission on AI of Korea). On Team "AI is a Threat," you'll get counterpoints from George Chilton (Hubbub Labs) and Nick McIntosh (RMIT Vietnam). We haven't seen this big of a divide in higher education in decades. Tune in to hear the real question: Are we debating student outcomes (which improve with AI) or protecting institutional infrastructure? Either way, we're in a messy transition where implementation matters more than the technology itself.

AI is already in classrooms, grading stacks, and research labs, and the system is creaking. In this raw, unscripted clash recorded at The PIE’s Global Live Debate, two camps collide: one argues AI expands access and reinvents assessment; the other warns it devalues degrees and accelerates shortcuts.

What You’ll Learn:

Why essays are on life support and how conversational AI could prove real understanding.
How AI devalues credentials and what it means for hiring.
The real fight: tech vs. implementation. Can universities adapt at speed?
Access at scale: AI as an engine for global opportunity.

Episode Highlights:

Arguments in Favor of AI

[00:19:33] AI as an Expander of Access
[00:22:21] Essays Are Dead: Conversational AI as Assessment
[00:26:16] Implementation Resistance Is Normal
[00:27:07] AI as a Civilizational Shift
[00:30:17] Students First, Not Institutions

Arguments Against AI

[00:20:25] Degrees Devalued by AI?
[00:24:27] Prompt Injection Arms Race
[00:25:31] Human Nature: The Shortcut Problem
[00:26:06] Temptation to Cheat Is Too Strong, The Path of Least Resistance
[00:29:29] Universities Resist AI Like They Once Resisted Calculators

Connect With Us & Stemuli’s Colleagues

🌐 Taylor Shead | Stemuli

🌐 Jarrad Merlo | Pearson

🌐 George Chilton | Hubbub Labs

🌐 Jaeho Yeom | Taejae University, Presidential Commission on AI of Korea

🌐 Nick McIntosh | RMIT Vietnam

🌐 Nick Cuthbert | The PIE

Love this episode and the twist at the end? Drop us 5 stars, share it with your crew, and join the movement to future-proof education and work. Follow Big Tech Energy on: