The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and the paradigm shift it is able to create have been the centre of attention among education researchers, following recent developments in the area of AI in education. AI has the potential to enable new forms of learning, but also poses some challenges and risks. While it is well-established that information technologies can be used to promote inter-personal connections between learners, between learners and teachers, and inside learning communities, such educational relationships can be significantly impacted by the introduction of AI in education settings.

Education fiction, also known as social science fiction, has recently been employed by researchers in an effort to produce fiction that speculates about the future and inform better decisions for today. This paper analyses education fiction to explore how educational relationships might change in a future infused by AI. Following recent publications that utilise education fiction to speculate about the future, the authors of this paper thematically analysed 98 stories written by researchers, dealing with speculations around AI in applied education settings. The focus of this thematic analysis is on two themes: human relationships mediated by AI, and blurred boundaries between humans and computers in education settings.

The fictions written by researchers touch upon the affective benefits of a network that is created between computers and humans, as well as between humans, mediated by computers. AI tools are presented as trusted allies or even friends of the students, nurturing a more welcoming approach to the introduction of AI in learning communities. AI seems to be useful in situations where group skills are necessary, as it appears to act as a facilitator and a mentor, helping students develop teamwork skills and scaffolding communication between peers and between humans and computers. In contrast, certain stories highlight the potential dangers in the development of core writing or thinking skills, if students were to outsource related tasks to AI tools. Therefore, an over-reliance on AI tools could have unintended consequences for learners.

These findings point to the need for sustaining discussions around digital tools and human relationships, especially since AI develops and becomes more useful to a wider audience. The paper also suggests that speculative education fiction can help us imagine different scenarios and outcomes of using AI in learning. As AI becomes more prevalent in education, it is important to think about how to use it in ethical and beneficial ways that respect the values and goals of education.

In this article, we explore how the recently revived approach of social science fiction can be used as a creative and critical method to imagine and discuss the future of artificial intelligence in education (AIED). We review one hundred social science fiction stories written by researchers and analyse how they depict the potential role of AI in teaching and learning. Through a thematic analysis, we identify four main themes and several sub-themes that highlight the hopes and concerns that the researchers express for the future of AIED. Although the fictions present imaginative scenarios of anticipated AIED futures already present in the literature, they also feature creative illustrations of how such futures may materialise. We observe that social science fiction can be valuable in approaching the complex and uncertain landscape of AIED while stimulating reflection and dialogue. We conclude by suggesting some directions for further research and practice using this emerging approach of storytelling.