Assistant Professor Joanne Dera, Rutgers Science Librarian and AI Ethics Lab Contributor, presented at the NJ ASA TECHSPO ’26 in Atlantic City about how artificial intelligence is reshaping how citizens access information, engage in dialogue, and participate in civic life.
For K-12 educators in NJ and beyond, the challenge is preparing students to navigate these shifts while protecting and promoting the core values of democracy. This panel will explore how schools can build civic literacy, critical thinking, and collaboration skills that help students thrive in a society increasingly influenced by technology. Participants will walk away with practical insights on how AI can be used to strengthen, rather than weaken, the democratic principles of transparency, accountability, and collective responsibility in the classroom and communities.
Other presenters included Dan Gallant, Supervisor of Educational Technology, Middlesex County Magnet Schools; Dr. Peter Hughes, Superintendent, Cresskill Public Schools; and Michael Leaser, Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships, The Princeton Review and Tutor.com.