Abstract
In this paper, we critically evaluate the evolving process of Open Education (OE) amidst the ongoing proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) framework developed by Geels (2002) is utilized in the present analysis of contemporary calls for “openness” in AI, with a focus on the concepts of democratization, cost-effectiveness, sustainability and decentralization. Moving beyond a binary framing of openness as either commercialized or emancipatory, the analysis conceptualizes openness as a contested imaginary shaped by a diverse array of actors.
Furthermore, we aim to draw parallels with historical OE and Open Science (OS) developments and identify recurring socio-technical challenges. The analysis conducted reveals a persistent disconnection between landscape aspirations, niche innovations, and unruly educational regimes. It is argued that the readjustment of these levels necessitates a robust theoretical and philosophical foundation for imaginaries of ‘openness’, through which strategic investments in open infrastructure and context-specific policy development can be applied.
The paper offers a more balanced and theoretically grounded framework for rethinking openness in the age of AI by integrating critiques from the state-led instrumentalisation of openness.