Stephen J Aguilar

Dr Stephen J. Aguilar is a leading voice on the intersection of generative AI, education, and digital equity. As the co-leader of the USC Center for Generative AI and Society, he helps educators and policymakers navigate the "phase shift" AI has created in learning environments. His forthcoming book, Authenticating Intelligence: Preventing AI from Hijacking Education, argues that the role of AI is to maintain human agency in an increasingly automated world.

A recognised authority with a knack for translating complex tech into actionable insights, Dr Aguilar’s work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and on NPR’s AirTalk. His research on the digital divide directly informed California Assembly Bill No. 1176, helping over one million families access reliable high-speed internet.

Dr Aguilar is a highly sought-after speaker who advocates for "tempered optimism" in the age of AI. His recent keynotes at Purdue University, Xavier University, and Vermont State University have tackled critical topics ranging from AI in the K-12 classroom to the future of higher education.

Recent Keynote Highlights:

- Finding AI’s Place in Your Classroom (Rimm of the World School District, 2025)
- Authentic Intelligence: Preventing AI from “Hijacking” Education (Vermont State University, 2024)
- Not a Revolution, but a Phase Shift: AI and Higher Ed (Purdue University, 2024)
- Authentic Intelligence in Higher Education (Xavier University, 2024)
- Becoming a Tempered Optimist in the Age of Generative AI (University of CA, Irvine, 2023)

Dr Aguilar holds a PhD in Education and Psychology from the University of Michigan, an MA from the University of Chicago, and a BA from Georgetown University. A former classroom teacher in East Palo Alto, he is the recipient of the AERA Division C Early Career Award and the Wilbert J. McKeachie Early Career Award.