Below are the notes and the reflection from of the session FROM PROMPTS TO PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS: AI-ASSISTED DIALOGUE IN DEMOCRATIC P4C IN MULTILINGUAL CLASSROOMS by Margarita Jeliazkova during SOPHIA Network Meeting in January 2026
What happens when you invite AI into the community of inquiry (COI)?
What is a prompt? – a good question?
Linguistic proficiency (and a common language) needed to be in COI together? Using AI to get around this.
Inviting AI as a participant in the inquiry (not a tool used by individuals)
- Students
- Teacher
- AI (with a particular role – as a participant)
Different ways for AI to participate:
- Translating / Re-phrasing
- Bring different perspectives that are missing in the group – other possible viewpoints, explanations etc
- Provide examples and case studies, to ground abstract ideas
AI = more-than-human participant. Acting from the role of a dog, a rock, etc? Small Matters. The introduction of perspectives beyond the human ….
This session prompted a significant shift in my thinking regarding the role of artificial intelligence within the Philosophy for Children (P4C) space. Rather than perceiving AI as a potentially disruptive or even threatening presence, I began to reconceptualise it as a resource that can be intentionally and meaningfully integrated into the Community of Inquiry (CoI). When invited in a structured way—as a participant rather than an authoritative source—AI opens up new possibilities for dialogue, perspective-taking, and conceptual exploration. Positioning AI as one voice among many, rather than as an entity that “knows it all,” fundamentally alters both the nature of engagement and the dynamics of inquiry. This reframing invites a more relational and dialogic interaction with AI, aligning closely with the principles of P4C. Moving forward, I am interested in experimenting with this approach in practice, particularly in observing how children respond to AI as a participant in the CoI, and how the quality and depth of dialogue may differ in its presence compared to sessions where it is absent.