The Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Prof. Dr. Rr. Siti Murtiningsih, S.S., M.Hum., was officially inaugurated as a Professor in the field of Philosophy of Education on Thursday (20/2). In her inaugural speech at the UGM Senate Hall, Prof. Murtiningsih offered a revolutionary perspective on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of education.
In her speech titled “Educating Humans with Machines: Philosophy of Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” Murtiningsih addressed the challenges and opportunities presented by technology in education. She emphasized that extreme approaches—either fully entrusting education to technology or completely rejecting machine involvement—are equally undesirable.
“Entrusting our children’s education entirely to machines would be a disaster for the future of humanity. However, rejecting technology altogether is an anachronistic stance,” she stated.
Prof. Murtiningsih also explored the paradox of AI usage, highlighting the equivalence of truth values between propositions believed by humans and those generated by machines. She argued that the claim that machines cannot possess knowledge simply because they lack belief should be critically reassessed.
Furthermore, she emphasized AI’s transformative potential in education, particularly in creating more innovative, personalized, and data-driven learning models. Machine integration in education not only offers a more flexible learning experience tailored to individual needs but also enriches the analysis of learning outcomes on a broader scale.
In advocating for inclusive education, Prof. Murtiningsih stressed the need to avoid a capitalistic approach that merely turns students into consumers of digital content without providing space for critical thinking. Drawing from Paulo Freire’s ideas, she underscored the critical role of technology in education.
“Artificial intelligence has an unparalleled capacity to analyze vast amounts of data at an extraordinary speed. Within the framework of Freirean critical pedagogy, educating humans with machines means fostering hope and critical awareness based on strong empirical analysis,” she explained.
As a conclusion, she reaffirmed that education must continue to place humans at the center, while machines serve as partners in the learning process. “The scope of the philosophy of education in the era of AI is not just about defining educational goals and methods, but also about the epistemic and ethical relationship between humans and non-human agents. This is the future of the philosophy of education,” she asserted.
The inauguration of Siti Murtiningsih as a Professor marks a significant milestone in the national discourse on education and serves as an inspiration for designing educational policies that integrate technology ethically and effectively. The event was attended by various influential figures, including Indonesian Ministers and Vice Ministers, academics from national and international universities, leaders of state-owned enterprises (BUMN), regional and national officials, as well as cultural and political figures. Their presence demonstrated the importance of the ideas presented in her speech.
Siti Murtiningsih is a distinguished academic who has made significant contributions to the development of educational thought in Indonesia. Since 1997, she has been teaching in the Department of Western Philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy, UGM, and currently serves as the Dean for the 2021–2026 term. Additionally, she is a member of the Education Council of the Special Region of Yogyakarta for the 2022–2027 period.
Her works have been published in books and academic articles, including Education as a Tool of Resistance (2004), Principles of Philosophy of Education (2011), The Ideology of Animated Children’s Films (2013), Philosophy of Education in Video Games (2020), A Critical Study of Contemporary Metaphysical Issues (2021), and Philosophy of Education (2024). In addition to publishing in academic journals, she actively shares her ideas through various media outlets.