To Ai or not to Ai? That is the question!
Artificial Intelligence is here. In fact, in April 2026, it seems to be popping up online in every conceivable space and platform. Lots is being promised by what Ai will achieve in the coming years. In healthcare, we are being told of the discovery of new medicines and cures; in education, they say learning will be streamlined; apparently, manufacturing will be more productive; and they say Ai will find ways to reduce our carbon footprint, benefitting the environment.
Even though these things may be true, many people are worried about the downsides: the loss of jobs; the erosion of ‘truth’; the loss of privacy; and the existential risk. It is a tricky one!
Word to the wise is that the period we are in now is ‘experimental’, and we will soon be in a ‘foundational’ stage. Experts predict that by 2030, things will have levelled out, and we will know where we are with Ai. The jobs that are already being lost to or compromised by Ai will apparently be replaced by hundreds of thousands of new roles to support the new infrastructure. Time will tell.
One thing is sure, the world is shifting, and in the field of education, teachers are trying to navigate a way through, to learn about the possibilities Ai offers, and to make decisions about when or when not to use Ai and … if it’s appropriate/necessary to use it at all.
What does this all have to do with Let’s Do Drama? Well … we feel, absolutely everything.
Whatever happens, to be successful, children (and the adults they become) will always need to be able to communicate and to interact effectively with other humans. At a time when the digital world is such a huge part of children’s lives, we need to help them to realise the value of social connection, to empower them to develop their communication skills, to show them how to hold on to human-to-human interaction for all it is worth.
Drama means creativity, and with creativity comes joy for everyone involved— for the children and for the adults. The sociologist Émile Durkheim coined the term ‘Collective Effervescence’ to describe the shared sense of energy and excitement that arises when people unite for a group event. This collective effervescence releases endorphins and oxytocin, fostering a feeling of unity. Essentially, drama can mean collective effervescence! More of that, please!
All of our drama and oracy activities come from the minds of human beings (at the moment, the minds of Dave and Jules), and the same goes for the online training, the stories, the scripts, the blogs, the newsletters, and the vodcasts*. All of it imaginative and creative. Ai can have a stab at being creative, but it cannot yet match the magic that comes from a human’s imagination. It can try!
Drama and oracy activities give children the grounding, the confidence, and the transferable interpersonal skills they need to thrive in an increasingly technological world. Children will need to utilise the wonders of Ai and they will also need high levels of oracy to thrive. So… to give the children the best of chances, Let’s Do Drama!
