Fear and Awe: Making Sense of Generative AI Through Metaphor

In this paper, we advance the examination of generative AI (GenAI) in educational contexts in two distinct ways. First, we introduce and evaluate an innovative workshop model designed to explore GenAI metaphors, helping participants to articulate their own and their peers’ responses to the technology. These workshops included students, academics and educational support staff at a large Australian university. Second, we analyse the metaphors and collaborative discussions generated during these workshops, which reveal a diverse spectrum of perspectives on GenAI, from practical tool to existential threat. Our analysis surfaces tensions that align closely with prevailing attitudes and current literature on metaphor and GenAI, particularly the tensions between human versus machine agency, and the known versus the unknowable capabilities of the technology. Through these contributions, we propose a qualitative approach that maps the complex interplay of perceptions surrounding emerging technologies, inviting critical reflection on GenAI’s ethical and societal dimensions. Our work offers a structured yet flexible approach for facilitating meaningful dialogue about the implications of GenAI in education that moves past fear and awe.