Featured Talk: The Silent Classroom
 In a Shenzhen classroom, I wrote "Horror Films" on the board and asked for ideas. Instead of sketches and wild ideas, I was met with rows of silent screens and the same typed command: "Write me a horror film." That moment revealed a quiet crisis: we were using the world's most efficient tool to sideline our most precious skill—the art of questioning. 

In my TEDx talk, I share how this classroom paradox led to a pedagogy that treats AI not as an answer machine, but as a canvas for making thinking visible. It’s an exploration of how low-code AI filmmaking can turn students' questions, revisions, and hesitations into shared artifacts for dialogue, restoring curiosity in an age of instant answers. 

 

 
On January 11, 2026, the 8th World Principals’ Forum was held at the Qianhai International Talent Hub in Shenzhen under the theme “AI Empowerment, Enrollment Innovation, and Global Collaboration.” Organized by the World Principals’ Forum Committee and coordinated by Secretary-General Xu Zhiwen, the forum brought together approximately 100 participants from China and abroad, including university professors, school leaders, AI industry representatives, and education sector leaders. The event focused on educational transformation and new opportunities for internationalization in the age of artificial intelligence.

The forum officially opened at 9:00 a.m. with welcoming remarks by Hu Guangyu, Vice President of the World Principals’ Forum, who emphasized that amid rapid AI development, education systems must proactively adapt, innovate talent cultivation models, and strengthen global competitiveness.

The morning keynote sessions featured a series of thought-provoking presentations. Liu Genping, former Director of the Nanshan District Education Bureau in Shenzhen, addressed the question “Will Education Lose to Technology?” and discussed paradigm shifts in AI-era learning ecosystems. Liu Li, Principal of Xi’an Liangjiatan International School, spoke on leadership through educational innovation. Guo Rui, CEO of Shenzhen-based Yuyi Technology, examined how schools can clearly and consistently communicate their value to students and parents in the AI era. Xin Ying, Principal of Daoxiang Lake School in Beijing, explored strategies for unlocking student potential and intrinsic motivation. Zhang Yibao, Executive Principal of Tianjin Guanghua Education Group, discussed innovative practices in foreign-language schools in the digital intelligence era. Xiao Songshan, Assistant President of Tianjin University, reflected on interdisciplinary integration from a higher education perspective, while Professor Paul Campbell from the University of Hong Kong addressed leadership, culture, and credibility in AI-era school governance. Together, these sessions set a high intellectual tone for the forum.

In the afternoon, Addie Loy, Principal of Shenzhen Nanshan International School, shared an inquiry-driven approach to continuous improvement. Jia Daming, Executive Principal of XJTLU Basic Education Group, introduced the group’s mission and development strategy. Liu Rongqing, Deputy Director of the Future School Laboratory at Tsinghua University, offered a philosophical reflection on the question “What Should Education Become When AI Arrives?” Additional speakers included Lu Xiaofei, Vice Principal of Yungu School; Mohan, CEO of the Sri Lanka IIT Education Group; and Nico, General Manager of Hurun Education, who addressed AI-driven innovation, cross-border education collaboration, and global talent strategies. Professor Sedat Gumus from The Education University of Hong Kong discussed advancing educational equity through school leadership, while Li Fangsheng, Principal of the Meixiang Campus of Shenzhen Middle School, shared insights into technology-integrated education pathways.

The forum also featured three roundtable discussions. One session on future-oriented curriculum and teaching transformation was moderated by educator Yi Lu, alongside school leaders Meng Xiangzhi, Qian Lang, Peng Yu, and Dean Gao Xu. Another roundtable on AI practices in international schools, moderated by Edward from Shenzhen Yuyi Technology, brought together principals Hu Guangyu, Li Hong, Wang Yasai, and Yang Xiaoke, with Yang presenting his school’s AI education initiatives. A third session on breaking enrollment challenges in international schools was moderated by education media commentator Wu Lide and explored how digital media strategies can support school positioning and recruitment.

 
Overall, the 8th World Principals’ Forum offered a rich and forward-looking exploration of educational transformation in the AI era. Participants widely agreed that in the face of global educational change, sustained cross-sector collaboration and responsible technological innovation are essential to achieving high-quality education and shared global progress. Looking ahead, the World Principals’ Forum will continue to serve as a platform for dialogue and cooperation among educational institutions worldwide.
 

 Overview / Research Context

 This TED Talk emerges from my classroom-based design work in secondary film and media education, where the rapid adoption of generative AI has begun to shift students from questioning toward answer-seeking behaviors.

Rather than prohibiting AI, I designed low-code, AI-assisted visual storytelling environments that make students’ prompts, revisions, and decision-making processes visible as part of learning.

The talk frames AI not as a replacement for human thinking, but as a medium through which students’ reasoning, uncertainty, and agency can be observed, discussed, and supported.

 Presented at TED Talk Shenzhen, this piece functions as a public-facing research artifact connecting classroom practice, learning sciences, and AI-mediated pedagogy.