Do you remember your first date? Excitement, nerves, and curiosity all tangled together. Do I look good? Smell good? Anything in my teeth? Making that first impression matters and how we do it depends on our values, experiences, and expectations as we look for a partner for life.
Just as a playful glance across a crowded room can spark a meaningful connection, the objective with artificial intelligence (AI) is the same: cultivating compatibility and trust for a long-time partnership that will flourish. Let’s explore the art of flirting with AI.
The First Date: “The Spark”
Every great relationship starts with a spark. That feeling you have with that first eye to eye encounter has you feeling excited and curious. As you approach AI and begin to interact, it should feel more like a coffee date and not a job interview, free of pressure and high expectations. AI should feel approachable and not intimidating. It should flow with curiosity, playfulness, and maybe a little humor.
What to Say: “The Conversation Starter”
Figuring out what to talk about is that first hurdle to get over. Open ended questions, for AI work best, instead of demanding or establishing ground rules. Asking AI if you could help design a more student-centered lesson or share creative ways to explain photosynthesis for middle school students, as a first conversation. No need to jump right in and start demanding specific outcomes before you learn to become compatible.
Where to Take It: “The Second Date”
Start with small steps. Use AI in a low stake space brainstorming session and in coming up with ideas or outlines. Like most relationships, AI responds best when you are clear about your intentions. Lack of clarity or being vague leads to awkwardness. Educators ought to know how AI responds, where it shines and where it struggles. The key is to approach it with an open mind while maintaining professional judgement. Just as you would not commit to a lifelong partner on the first date, you should not rely on AI without testing its reliability and alignment with your values and expectations. Consider it as a casual walk in the park before you take off together to Las Vegas for the weekend.
Deepen Connections of Trust and Compatibility: “Chemistry”
Now that things are going well with boundaries and expectations communicated, we can now begin to build trust and compatibility. Building this with AI means aligning its strengths with your vision as an educator.
Trust will develop when AI proves it can support teachers in relevant and meaningful ways, whether by saving time, sparking creativity, or offering new perspectives. Over time this relationship will shift from a novelty to a genuine partnership. AI is powerful but it’s not magical. Define your parameters. This helps the relationship become healthy and productive now that who you are and what you value is established.
The Long-Term Relationship: “Advancing Your Craft”
Now that the honeymoon is over, the real work starts. AI can be that partner that helps you grow professionally while simultaneously nurturing, empowering, and inspiring students and their relationship with AI.
For the educators, it means integrating AI thoughtfully into teaching, leadership and decision making. It’s about moving beyond the flirtation state and into a relationship built on trust, respect, and a shared purpose. AI is not here to replace the human touch in education; it is here to enhance it. Like any great relationship, it is a journey that starts with curiosity and evolves through trust and flourishes with commitment.
Final Note
Flirting with AI is about curiosity, clarity, and care. Like any meaningful relationship, it takes time, trust, and a willingness to be vulnerable and learn together. So go ahead, have that “first glance across the room” or if you are already past that initial stage, continue building that relationship.
"Just remember if AI starts finishing your sentences and judging your playlist, it's probably getting serious.” - Co Pilot
This article has been written in partnership with AI, Co Pilot. Like a good companion, it guided me with questions and offered suggestions. (Prompt: “Whitty way to conclude the paragraph.”)
Derrick des Vignes is currently a Middle Years program educator at Ridley College in St Catherines, Ontario. Over the past three decades, Derrick has made significant contributions to six international schools as a teacher and administrator.
