This paper addresses the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, highlighting its potential to move beyond mere educational tools and actively engage in the learning process. Specifically, it highlights the lack of a robust conceptual framework for understanding, designing, and evaluating the emerging paradigm of human-AI interaction, driven by the emergence of goal-oriented, autonomous AI agents. This paper proposes the APCP framework, a novel conceptual framework that describes the transition of AI from tool to collaborative partner. It distinguishes between four levels of AI agency (adaptive tool, proactive facilitator, co-learner, and peer collaborator) and provides a structural vocabulary for analyzing the changing roles and responsibilities between humans and AI agents. Furthermore, through a philosophical discussion of whether AI is truly a collaborator, it argues that while AI may not achieve a truly subjective partnership, it can be designed as a highly effective functional collaborator. This paper offers implications for the future of pedagogy, instructional design, and AI education research.
