Science Editor discusses the upcoming KAiZEN Collab! where students and staff will come together to discuss the effects of AI usage at King’s College London (KCL).
On 11 and 12 June 2026, KCL students and staff alike will gather in the Macadam Interactive Learning Space to explore the effects of AI in university.
Organised by King’s Academy’s AI Student Partners, KAiZEN Collab! is a collaboration of King’s Academy, King’s Edge and the Collab! Initiative. They aim to use this two-day hackathon-like event to raise awareness about how universities are adapting to AI use.
“A lot of the conversation can feel either too technical, too policy-heavy or like it is only for people who already know what they are doing. KAiZEN Collab! aims to try to make that conversation easier for everybody regardless of their background.”
D.A. Nguyen, Transforming Assessment for Students at King’s (TASK) Student Partners
During the LearnHack on 12 June 2026, attendees will be split into mixed student-staff teams to take on AI related challenges. They do not need coding, AI or hackathon experience, meaning a diverse range of voices and perspectives will be working together to solve problems.
The challenges are based on real challenges faced by people across the university and are designed to help build experience with AI.
The event also gives students a chance to showcase their own work with AI and open up conversations on how KCL can adapt to the new, everchanging technology. Staff will be asked to join students in solving problems.
Earlier this year, King’s College London’s Student Union (KCLSU) published its AI manifesto after holding multiple workshops to address student and staff concerns over fairness and integrity in today’s AI entangled world.
In recent months, Roar has separately reported that KCL has spent over £35,000 on Microsoft Copilot licenses, expelled multiple students for AI misuse and unveiled a five-year plan to implement AI use into the university.
With these mixed responses to AI use in university, events like KAiZEN Collab! aim to clarify communication between staff and students in regard to AI use.