Teachers’ Seminar: “Teaching in the Age of AI: Why Human Teachers Matter”
Pushpashrama Institute of Philosophy and Religion conducted an insightful seminar on “Teaching in the Age of AI: Why Human Teachers Matter”, bringing together teachers, educators, religious and distinguished guests for an enriching reflection on the changing landscape of education in the age of AI. This informative seminar was held on the 22nd of August, 2026. The programme was ably compered by Bro. Ethan Lobo, who guided the gathering through each stage with warmth, clarity and enthusiasm.
The seminar commenced with a cordial welcome to all the dignitaries, resource persons, teachers, and participants. This was followed by a prayer song led by the brothers of Pushpashrama, invoking God’s wisdom and guidance for the day’s proceedings. The ceremonial lighting of the lamp symbolised the beginning of the seminar and the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.
Thereafter, Rev. Fr. Dr. Alphonse Britto OCD, Rector of Pushpashrama Institute of Philosophy and Religion, delivered the welcome address and formally welcomed the gathering. Rev. Fr. Vijay D’Costa then took over the formal proceedings by introducing the theme for the day, presenting the resource persons, and explaining the modus operandi of the seminar.
The seminar featured two informative sessions, a keynote address and meaningful discussions on the opportunities and challenges presented by Artificial Intelligence in education.
The Keynote address was presented by Rev Dr Manoj Victor Braganza, the Director of Pushpashrama and the conveyer of the Seminar on the theme Why Teachers Matter More Than Ever : The Irreplaceable Teacher in the Age of AI.
The 1st session was based on the Topic ‘Teaching in the Age of AI : Why Human Teachers Matter,’ presented by Dr H. N. Vishwanath, Founder and Director of IMPACT-TEACHER CRAFT, Mysore and a Retired Professor from Sarda Vilas Teachers College. He beautifully elaborated on the theme and gave his invaluable opinion, by branching his theme into various sub-topics - types of students, Introspection, SLOK analysis, and Constructive Approaches of Teacher-Learning being a few of the more important ones. After the 1st Session a break for tea and refreshments was announced.
The next session began on the topic Building Character in the Age of AI : Every Child Counts. This session was given by Rev Dr Wilfred Rodrigues OCD, Director at Divine Springs Retreat Centre, Goa. The session was quite insightful and practical as Dr Wilfred categorized the core message into the 5 Pillars of Character Formation, Teacher as the Role Model and How Every Child Matters. The 2nd session was followed by an interactive question-answer session for both the topics.
The programme concluded with a Vote of Thanks proposed by Ms. Kavya Vasant, followed by the closing remarks. The authorities at Pushpashrama also felicitated Rev. Fr Dr Wilfred Rodrigues the outgoing Dean of the Institute for his many years of dedicated and fruitful service to the Institute. Finally, the participants were reminded that AI may transform educational tools, but teachers continue to inspire, accompany, challenge and care for learners. The seminar concluded with the singing of the Pushpashrama Anthem, followed by lunch and fellowship.
.JPG)
