Artificial intelligence as a third actor in initial preschool teacher education
Keywords:
Generative artificial intelligence, pedagogical dialogue, initial teacher education, preschool education, sociotechnical mediationAbstract
This article analyzes the pedagogical, epistemological, and ethical implications of generative artificial intelligence in initial preschool teacher education in Mexico. It is developed as a theoretical, analytical-conceptual study supported by a critical and purposive review of literature on artificial intelligence in education, critical pedagogy, sociotechnical studies, AI literacy, and curricular documents related to the New Mexican School. By contrasting sociotechnical mediation, actant, sociomateriality, and distributed agency, the article proposes the category of “third actor” to describe the linguistic and epistemic intervention of generative systems in pedagogical situations, without attributing subjectivity or moral responsibility to them. The analysis shows that their incorporation may broaden resources and support the review of decisions, but may also replace processes required to develop professional judgment. In preschool education, this discussion must safeguard play, sensitive observation, human relationships, and curricular contextualization. The article concludes that agency may be distributed among people and technologies, whereas educational responsibility must remain with teachers, teacher educators, and institutions.
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