As the 2026 Polytechnic Showcase approaches, we connected with Seneca Polytechnic to discuss their session, Supporting Students and Faculty in the Age of AI: Seneca’s Playbook for Practical, Responsible Adoption. Polytechnics Canada spoke with AI Thought Leaders, Dr. Panos Panagiotakopoulos and Kent Peel, about how Seneca is helping students and faculty navigate artificial intelligence (AI) in practical and responsible ways.

Polytechnics Canada:  Your session highlights Seneca Polytechnic’s approach to practical and responsible AI adoption. How is Seneca helping students and faculty navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI?

Panos Panagiotakopoulos: Seneca takes a practical, responsible and human-centred approach to AI adoption. We focus on helping students and faculty understand when and how AI adds value, while being clear about limits, risks and ethical considerations. Through hands-on workshops, classroom visits and our collaborative AI Lab, we support experimentation with real teaching, learning and workplace scenarios. At the same time, we emphasize academic integrity, privacy and transparency, ensuring AI is used to enhance – not replace – critical thinking, creativity and professional judgment.

Kent Peel: This approach also prioritizes building long-term AI literacy and confidence across the institution. By integrating AI into curricula, applied research and industry partnerships, Seneca is helping students and faculty develop the judgment needed to use these tools effectively in professional contexts. The focus is not just on technical proficiency, but on understanding impact – how AI shapes decision-making, workflows and outcomes – so graduates are prepared to use AI responsibly, adapt to evolving technologies and contribute meaningfully in workplaces where human insight remains essential.

PC: Can you share some examples of projects from Seneca’s collaborative AI Lab?

PP: The AI Lab supports applied, faculty- and student-led projects focused on real teaching, learning and operational needs. Recent examples include AI-assisted marking and feedback in collaboration with faculty, including work on visual and drawing-based assignments, to explore how AI can support consistency while preserving academic judgment.

KP: The Lab has also supported simulation-based learning, using AI to enhance scenario design, decision-making and reflection rather than automate outcomes. In parallel, the Lab showcases applied operational use cases, such as departmental AI agents and industry-aligned tools like Einstein AI and Adastra-supported agents, to demonstrate responsible ways AI can augment academic and administrative workflows.

PC: As AI Thought Leaders at Seneca, what is one key takeaway you hope the audience will gain from your presentation?

PP: We hope the audience takes away that responsible AI adoption is a change management challenge, not just a technology issue. Success comes from aligning tools with pedagogy, governance and culture. Institutions do not need to have everything figured out, but they do need clear principles, space for experimentation and strong support for faculty and students.

KP: Another key takeaway is that meaningful progress with AI comes from intentional, incremental adoption rather than rapid or unstructured implementation. By focusing on real use cases, engaging educators and learners in the process, and establishing practical guardrails, polytechnics can build confidence and capability over time while managing risks effectively.

PC: In light of Canada’s investments in AI compute infrastructure and strategy, how is Seneca positioning its students, faculty and business partners to responsibly use advanced AI tools and contribute to Canada’s innovation ecosystem?

PP: Seneca is positioning its students, faculty and partners to be capable, responsible users of advanced AI tools, not just consumers of technology. We focus on building AI literacy, applied skills and ethical awareness that translate directly to the workforce.

KP: By integrating AI into teaching, assessment and applied research, and by working closely with industry and public-sector partners, we help ensure graduates can contribute meaningfully to Canada’s evolving innovation ecosystem while using AI in ways that are transparent, accountable and socially responsible.