A new book from Sydney-based technology leader Yasmin London argues that schools and education leaders should focus as much on developing human judgment, empathy and courage as they do on adopting artificial intelligence tools, as the sector works through a national framework for AI in classrooms.
London, founder and CEO of First Movers Co. and a former NSW Police officer, released "First Movers: Courageous Leadership for a Human Future in the AI Era" through Dean Publishing this month.
"The conversation has become almost entirely about what technology can do," London said in a statement. "We should also be asking what kind of humans we need to become alongside it."
"The future won't be shaped by technology alone. It will be shaped by the capability and values of the people designing it, leading it, questioning it, and preparing the next generation to use it wisely," London added.
National framework already in motion
London's argument lands as Australian education authorities work through their own answer to that question.
In 2023, the Federal Government established the National AI in Schools Taskforce, bringing together Education Services Australia, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, the Australian Education Research Organisation and the eSafety Commissioner to guide schools on AI use.
Federal, State and Territory education ministers agreed in February 2023 to develop the Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools to guide the safe and responsible use of the technology in classrooms.
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources released the National AI Plan in December 2025 on behalf of the Federal Government, a document that builds on Australia's 2021 AI Action Plan and incorporates more than $460m in existing AI funding commitments, education researcher Leon Furze reported.
Data shows gap between use and skill
That policy push comes as national testing data shows a gap between how widely students use AI tools and how well they use them.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority reported in May 2026 that its latest National Assessment Program report found Australian students to be enthusiastic users of generative AI and other digital tools, even as the same report showed a decline in students' ICT literacy since 2022, according to ACARA's own update.
At the individual school level, that tension is showing up in how institutions frame AI adoption.
Independent Schools NSW reported that Australian schools are engaging with AI at very different stages, with some still exploratory and others having set clear policies, built staff capability and chosen tools intended to enhance learning and productivity.
The organisation named Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange, Macarthur Anglican School in southwest Sydney and The McDonald College in North Strathfield as examples of schools adopting AI policies aimed at maintaining learning integrity. Sydney Grammar School's leadership team has centred its AI guidance on the school's values and on clarifying boundaries for staff and students, Independent Schools NSW reported.
Book draws on policing and elite sport background
London's book draws on a career that included representing Australia in elite sport, frontline policing and more than two decades of work with governments, schools and parents, according to the release. It includes profiles of women and allies, including Narelda Jacobs, Yumi Stynes, Gus Worland, Daniel Principe and Jennifer Robinson.
"Technology will shape the future. People will decide what kind of future it becomes," the book's closing message states.