Bringing Uncle Chatty Gee (ChatGPT) into the classroom: a lens from Critical Indigenous Studies

This article critically examines the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as “Uncle Chatty Gee” (ChatGPT), within tertiary Indigenous Studies classrooms, using a Critical Indigenous Studies lens. It highlights the risks posed by AI to Indigenous knowledges, pedagogies, and cultures, including issues of inaccuracy, the misappropriation and homogenisation of Indigenous identities, and the perpetuation of settler-colonial biases. Drawing on our professional practice, we present three classroom case studies, illustrating strategies to stimulate ethical reflection, student collaboration, and critical engagement with Indigenous content while navigating the environmental and social harms of AI. We emphasise the irreplaceable value of genuine transformation, creativity, and relationality in Indigenous education, arguing that these outcomes cannot be meaningfully replicated by AI-generated outputs. Recommendations include fostering critical AI literacy, centring Indigenous voices and sovereignty, and developing teaching practices that resist punitive approaches while equipping students to challenge technological harms. Ultimately, this research advocates for Indigenous-led educational futures in which digital tools are engaged thoughtfully, with a commitment to transformative and culturally safe learning environments.