As learning analytics (LA) and artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly shape how learning processes are monitored and supported, human agency has emerged as a critical concern. With generative AI rapidly transforming learning practices and influencing pedagogical decision-making, safeguarding the agency of both learners and educators is becoming essential. This editorial discusses key dilemmas in designing and evaluating AI-mediated learning systems that maintain meaningful human control, foster critical engagement, and enable ethical and effective integration into learning settings. We conclude by outlining future research opportunities for the learning analytics community and reflecting on the journal’s development over the past year.