Navigating AI: A Shared Learning Journey

Navigating AI: A Shared Learning Journey in Extension

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to show up in all kinds of ways in our work, educators and staff across Extension are asking an important question: how do we thoughtfully and responsibly adapt to these changes in ways that support our work with communities, partners, and learners?

The short answer? We learn together.

We'd like to highlight this recent blog post from UMN's "Extra Points" series: "Navigating AI: Keeping Pace with AI Tools." It’s a practical look at how one part of the university is exploring AI tools—like ChatGPT—and what it means for their work, their questions, and their community.

While Extension's work is a bit different, many of the takeaways from the post still apply:

• We’re all exploring. Whether you’re a program coordinator, educator, or support staff, everyone is at a different point with AI. Some may be trying it out to write newsletters, summarize reports, or brainstorm program ideas. Others may just be starting to ask, “What does AI mean for our work?”

• It’s okay not to have all the answers. The blog reminds us that we're not expected to be experts. What matters is being open to learning and sharing what we're trying, especially across roles and regions.

• The conversation is just beginning. Big shifts like this take time. We're not going to figure it out in one meeting or training. What matters is that we keep the conversation going and keep learning together. 

Take a few minutes to read the full post and think about what AI might mean for your own work. Are you curious about using AI to support time management or content creation? Do you have questions about the risks or ethical implications? Are you already experimenting and have something to share? Please comment below.

Let’s keep the conversation going - ask questions, share ideas, and help each other out as we navigate AI together. 

Article by Karen Matthes, Extension Learning Technologies, klm@umn.edu