PEMANFAATAN TEKNOLOGI SEBAGAI ALAT PEMBEBASAN: RELEVANSI PEDAGOGI KRITIS PAULO FREIRE DI ERA PEMBELAJARAN DIGITAL

Abstract

The rapid advancement of digital technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed educational practices by expanding access to information and creating more flexible learning environments. However, the excessive use of technology also risks producing pseudo-humanization, in which learners become increasingly dependent on digital tools while losing opportunities for critical thinking, dialogue, and reflective learning. This study aims to analyze the concept of technology as a tool for liberation from the perspective of Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy and to examine its relevance in critiquing technology-enhanced learning in the digital era. This qualitative library research synthesizes scholarly books and peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2020 and 2026 using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that technology, from Freire's perspective, should function not as the ultimate goal of education but as a pedagogical instrument that promotes humanization, dialogue, critical consciousness (conscientização), and social praxis. Freire's critical pedagogy remains highly relevant for distinguishing emancipatory uses of technology from practices that reinforce pseudo-humanization. Technology designed to foster dialogue, collaboration, critical digital literacy, and reflective learning can empower learners to become autonomous and socially responsible, whereas technology focused solely on efficiency and automation may reinforce intellectual dependency. Therefore, digital transformation in education should be grounded in humanistic values to preserve education as a practice of freedom