Using AI as a Thinking Partner, Not a Replacement

What happens when the workshop ends—but you stay for the credits? In this introductory episode of the Black-Liberation.Tech podcast’s AI for Academic Success series, Dr. Renée Jordan introduces the AI for Academic Success: Homework Help Lab workbook—an “Easter egg” originally created for learners who reached the end of the AG-STEM Career Exploration workshop. Learn how the workbook was developed through instructional design, research, contributor insights, and collaboration with generative AI tools. Dr. Jordan also discusses its Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license, introduces Janiyah GPT as an AI learning companion, and explains how to use the workbook. Most importantly, this episode establishes a principle that will guide the entire series: AI is a thinking partner, not a replacement. AI can help learners understand difficult concepts, ask questions, organize information, practice skills, and receive feedback—but curiosity, judgment, creativity, lived experience, and voice remain with the learner. The goal isn't simply to finish faster. The goal is to learn.