Tom is a full-time DPhil student investigating the use of Artificial Intelligence in Education. His research examines the ethical and security implications of artificial intelligence in educational contexts, focusing on predictive modelling through speculative fiction and elite interviews. His work bridges philosophical inquiry, pedagogical practice, and emerging technologies, offering critical insights into the governance, risks, and moral dimensions of AI deployment in learning environments.
His research fundamentally considers how AI systems may reshape education, belief formation, decision-making, and social influence, sitting at the intersection of education, AI governance, intelligence and security studies and philosophy.
Tom has degrees from Liverpool, Birmingham and most recently an MSc in Learning and Teaching from the University of Oxford.
Outside of his academic research, Tom has taken on multiple high-level academic and pastoral roles, successfully leading and developing teams of staff and ensuring the wellbeing of hundreds of students. He chose to step down from his final role, which involved spearheading a nationally recognised programme of staff development and continuous professional learning, to focus solely on a fast-evolving field of research. His work in education is built on his solid foundation of classroom practice, teaching Philosophy, Religious Education and Economics.
He is also a passionate cricketer and sailor, holding advanced coaching qualifications in both sports.
Within his most recent published research, Tom has argued for a rethinking of the place of AI within intelligence analysis and how questions of AI usage within education extend into deeper questions of epistemology, human agency and the formation of conscience and values.
Supervisors
Dr Liam Gearon and Dr Jeremy Knox
Publications:
Noall-Churchill, T. (2026). Butler Ignored: Artificial Intelligence and the Next Intelligence Failure. International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/08850607.2026.2710826