By Smitha Bharti, Jaiveer Arya and Bibin Lai
The Rise of AI as a Global Pedagogue
Artificial intelligence (AI) is sweeping through classrooms from Boston to Beijing, promising to reform how we learn and teach. The string of technological breakthroughs in AI, expedited by the developments in the previous months has enabled AI-powered tools to move from the fringes of education into the global mainstream. From early childhood to university lecture halls and on to workplace training, educators are experimenting with AI tutors, smart content generators, and automated grading systems. Policymakers from the United States to Europe to Asia are racing to concoct strategies that harness AI’s benefits while managing its risks. The result is a worldwide reckoning with what schooling means in an age when machines can instantly answer questions, personalise lessons, and even grade essays. The question now facing societies across the world is how to reconceive education in an AI-saturated world, what knowledge matters, what skills endure, and how human–AI collaboration will mould the future of learning.
The AI-Enhanced Classroom
Classrooms are undergoing a quiet revolution as AI technologies augment or undermine daily teaching and learning practices. Teachers increasingly have AI at their side, from lesson-planning assistants to intelligent tutoring systems that support students in real time. In China, where qualified teachers can be scarce in rural areas, entire classes are being taught by AI tutors. At one primary school in Hubei province, students use an adaptive learning platform (Squirrel AI) that tests their knowledge gaps and generates personalised lessons tailored to each child’s requirements. Early assessment indicates improved grades and engagement after just a month of AI-augmented teaching in that school. In other institutions such tools are aiding human teachers “immediately address” learning gaps, according to a World Economic Forum report. Rather than replacing educators, AI is freeing them from routine tasks, studies suggest up to 20% of a teacher’s workload (such as grading or administrative paperwork) can be automated or streamlined by AI, allowing teachers to focus more on one-on-one mentoring and complex instructional design. This, of course, is not the entire story of AI and education.
Across all levels of education, AI-enabled personalisation is emerging as a game-changer. Traditional one-size-fits-all teaching often fails to meet each learner’s needs, but AI systems can evaluate a student’s performance and adjust the pace of learning and material orientation accordingly. In early childhood education, adaptive apps and even robot companions are actively responding to a child’s progress in learning basic literacy or numeracy. In K-12 schools, many classrooms now use AI-driven intelligent tutoring systems for subjects like math, reading, and foreign languages, providing step-by-step guidance and instant feedback. Although these instances are yet nascent, such case studies already span the globe, in Brazil, an AI-based program called Letrus gives students automated, formative feedback on writing, significantly improving literacy skills across hundreds of schools. In West Africa, Kabakoo Academies have deployed AI-enabled virtual mentors to personalise vocational learning for youth, preparing them for jobs in local economies. And in South Korea, the government is rolling out AI-powered digital textbooks that adjust to different proficiency levels, an effort to boost personalised learning and reduce dependence on private cram schools. These examples show AI’s potential to deliver tailored instruction at scale in ways that seemed inconceivable a decade ago.
Educators are also exploring AI’s role in higher education and lifelong learning. Universities have begun integrating AI tools both as subjects of study and as learning aids, therefore, allowing students to use generative AI (advanced chatbots) in coursework under certain guidelines, thus teaching “AI literacy” alongside traditional curriculm. Some institutions are flipping the classroom by letting AI chatbots handle introductory lessons or FAQs, virtually freeing or limiting professors to engage in deeper discussions during class. Meanwhile, corporate and vocational training programs are turning to AI for on-demand up-skilling, personalised learning platforms can recommend training modules to employees based on their skill gaps, and simulate real-world scenarios (through AI and VR) for hands-on practice. As jobs evolve in the AI economy, workers worldwide are anticipated to reskill frequently, and AI-driven training could help deliver continuous education at the pace of change. Reskilling itself may soon emerge as an essential theme in AI powered education for an AI reliant world. This expansion of AI from preschools to pension-age learners reflects a broadening view of education as a lifelong, life-wide enterprise, one in which AI might serve as a constant learning companion.
Assessment in the Age of AI
Perhaps no aspect of education is being stress-tested by AI as much as assessment and academic integrity. On one hand, AI offers powerful tools to evaluate learning progress, automated grading systems can score multiple-choice exams in seconds and even assess essays or oral responses using natural language processing. Large assessment providers like Cambridge have for years used AI-based auto-markers to help grade English exams, accelerating feedback for millions of test-takers. Cambridge English reports that by combining AI with human examiners in a “hybrid marking model”, they now generate over half a billion marks annually, with the stealth of AI and the judgment of experts together improving efficiency and feedback quality. This human-in-the-loop approach underscores that while AI can handle the heavy lifting of scoring routine responses, experienced educators still provide irreplaceable oversight, catching nuances of creativity or context that algorithms might miss. In classrooms, teachers are also initiating the use of AI to formatively assess students day-to-day, diagnosing misunderstandings early via learning analytics dashboards.
At the same time, the rise of generative AI is forcing a re-evaluation of academic integrity and testing. Tools like ChatGPT by Open AI are capable in producing passable essays and solve problems, raising concerns that students might present AI-generated work as their own, the single largest challenge faced by educators across the world. Schools and universities worldwide spent much of the past two years scrambling to update plagiarism policies and invest in AI detection software, a cat-and-mouse game, as detection tools often lag behind new AI models. Forward-looking educators argue this is an opportunity to recalibrate assessments altogether, placing less weight on written assignments and more on in-person assessments, oral exams, project work, and “open AI” exams where students are explicitly allowed to use AI as a tool and are evaluated on how well they apply and critique AI-generated content. Exam boards and education ministries are issuing new guidance on this front. Cambridge International (which oversees exams in 160+ countries) has consulted schools and parters on managing AI in coursework. Some have suggested a return to more supervised pen-and-paper testing for high-stakes exams, at least until robust norms are established. The core challenge is maintaining educational integrity, ensuring that grades still reflect a student’s own abilities and knowledge, in a world where AI assistance is ubiquitous and often undetectable. In response, what and how we test may shift toward higher-order skills that AI cannot easily fake, such as critical thinking, problem-solving processes, and creativity.
Equity and Inclusion
A fundamental question is whether AI will level the educational playing field or exacerbate inequalities. Optimists note that AI could be a great equaliser, smart tutoring systems and translation tools have the potential to bring quality learning resources to students regardless of background, even in under-resourced or remote areas. Indeed, the UNESCO has highlighted AI’s promise to address “some of the biggest challenges in education today” and accelerate progress toward SDG 4 (quality education). For learners with disabilities, AI can be transformative, UNICEF’s Accessible Digital Textbooks initiative uses AI to create customisable content that accommodates diverse needs, assisting visually or hearing-impaired students participate on equal footing. Language translation AI can instantly convert lesson materials or even teachers’ speech into local languages, potentially helping millions of children who currently struggle in school because the language of instruction isn’t their mother tongue. These benefits align with UNESCO’s call for “AI for all”, ensuring inclusion is a guiding principle of AI in education.
Yet experience shows that without deliberate action, technology often amplifies existing disparities. Many schools and countries lack the infrastructure for AI-enabled education, reliable internet, hardware, and electricity, not to mention advanced teacher training. This raises the specter of a new digital divide, wherein, wealthy students wield AI tutors and personalised learning apps, while poorer communities fall further behind. Access is not the only issue. Biases embedded in AI systems can also marginalise learners form specific groups. AI algorithms trained on data from dominant groups may under-serve students from minority ethnic or linguistic backgrounds by misunderstanding their speech or failing to include culturally relevant content. There is also a risk of what one OECD report calls “techno-ableism,” AI tools not accommodating those with disabilities if not designed inclusively. The OECD’s latest review of AI in education underscores that realising AI’s equity benefits requires vigilance, from addressing connectivity gaps and affordability, to auditing algorithms for bias, to training educators to use AI in ways that support disadvantaged learners. Devoid of such measures, the report warns, AI could inadvertently exacerbate existing disparities. Hence, level of investments in propping-up an AI anchored learning ecosystem is a theme of further contemplation.
Policymakers are reacting to these equity concerns. In the United States, the former Department of Education’s 2023 guidance on AI in schools underscored “advancing equity” as a core principle, urging that AI tools be assessed for their impacts on underserved students. The U.S. has also noted that by 2024 at least 15 states had issued their own K-12 AI guidelines, but that this patchwork approach risks unequal access and confusion. The need for more coherent, inclusive AI strategies is more conspicuous by the day. International bodies like UNESCO and the OECD are working with countries, particularly in the Global South, to share best practices so that AI doesn’t become concentrated only in well funded education systems. “The promise of ‘AI for all’ must be that everyone can take advantage of the technological revolution… and that AI does not widen the divides within and between countries,” UNESCO insists. Achieving that vision will require investments strategies to bring AI infrastructure to poorer regions, meticulous design of AI curriculum that respect local languages and cultures, and possibly new funding models (public-private partnerships) to ensure that no child is left behind in the AI era.
The Changing Role of Teachers and Institutions
Nevertheless, far from rendering teachers obsolete, the advent of AI in education is changing educators’ roles in subtle but profound ways. AI can automate certain instructional tasks, delivering content, drilling practice exercises, grading routine work, but it cannot replace the human connection, mentorship, and inspiration that great teachers command. Where AI takes over clerical duties, teachers are increasingly becoming learning designers and facilitators. They spend more time curating the right digital resources, interpreting AI-generated insights about student progress, and providing the emotional and social support that machines and softwares are deprived of. In one survey of teachers using AI tools, a common theme was that they could focus more on individualised coaching and less on lecturing to the middle of the class. The World Economic Forum notes that by offloading administrative burdens, AI allows teachers to devote effort to “improving pedagogy and supporting students’ social-emotional needs”. In other words, the teacher’s role is shifting toward that of a learning coach who works alongside AI, counselling students on how to learn, think critically, and use new tools responsibly.
To play this new role effectively, teachers themselves are in need of support. Professional development in AI literacy has become a priority in many countries, recognising that teachers must aptly comprehend AI’s capabilities and pitfalls to harness it efficaciously. The former U.S. Department of Education, convened dozens of educators in 2023–24 to inform its AI toolkit for schools, ensuring frontline teachers’ perspectives shape national guidance. In Europe, training programs under initiatives like the European Year of Digital Education 2025 and various national schemes are preparing teachers to use data analytics and AI apps in instruction. There is also momentum to teach about AI in schools, not just use AI, equipping students and teachers alike with a foundational understanding of how AI works, its ethical implications, and how to critically evaluate AI outputs. Finland was an early mover in training citizens (including educators) in basic AI concepts through a free online course, and now Estonia, the Balkan digital champion of the world, is collaborating with OpenAI to introduce a tailored ChatGPT-based assistant for secondary school teachers and students. The Estonian pilot will offer AI-powered study assistance and even support with lesson planning, while training teachers to integrate these tools into pedagogy. Such efforts reflect a broad consensus, to unlock AI’s benefits, we must empower educators with skills and guidelines, not sideline them.
Educational institutions themselves are being reimagined under the influence of AI. Some futurists envision AI enabling more personalised, learner-driven models that challenge the century-old model of age-grouped classrooms moving lockstep through a fixed curriculum. If each student can have a personal AI tutor and a custom learning path, the role of schools may shift towards providing socialisation, collaborative projects, and mentorship, rather than delivering all content in person. Bold experiments are already probing these frontiers, a private school in the UK made headlines by running a trial “teacherless classroom” where students learned primarily through VR headsets and an AI platform, with human staff only supervising . While such extremes are far from the norm (and raise their own concerns), they hint at how schooling apparatuses could evolve in the coming days. Colleges and universities, too, face pressure to adapt, as knowledge becomes ubiquitous thanks to AI and the internet, higher education may place more emphasis on experiential learning, research, and the development of soft skills like teamwork and adaptability. Some universities are integrating AI into student counselling, using algorithms to identify students at peril of dropping out and prompt timely interventions by counsellors. Others are observing by granting micro-credentials or badges for skills learned via online AI-based courses, potentially unbundling the traditional degree. In short, as AI becomes deeply woven into the fabric of education, institutions must redefine their value, focusing on the human elements of learning and the credentials or experiences that truly prepare learners for a post-haste world as ours.
Navigating Policy and Ethics on a Global Scale
Unequivocally, the breakneck pace of AI innovation has often outstripped the ability of educational policy and regulatory frameworks to keep up. Now, governments and international organisations are rushing to establish guardrails for AI’s use in education, in order to maximise benefits and minimise perils. Data privacy is a paramount concern, educational AI systems typically collect sensitive data on students’ performance and behaviour, raising questions about who owns this data and how it’s protected. In the European Union, proposed regulations take a hard line, under the EU AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive legal framework of AI, many AI applications in schools (from software used for student admissions to algorithms monitoring exam-takers) are classified as “high-risk”, meaning they will face strict scrutiny to ensure transparency, safety, and fairness. European authorities are even contemplating a novel legal instrument specifically to ensure the “ethical, equitable and effective” use of AI in education. The Council of Europe has convened working conferences on AI in education, aiming to produce actionable recommendations and a policy toolbox for member states. Across the continent, the emphasis is on safeguarding fundamental rights, such as the right to education and non-discrimination, in the face of AI tools that could unfairly stream students or invade privacy if misused.
Outside Europe, approaches vary, but the trend toward national AI-in-education strategies and policy frameworks are unmistakable. China, in tandem with massive investments in AI ed-tech, has issued elaborate plans to integrate AI into teaching and management at all levels. Beijing’s municipal authorities recently mandated that even primary schoolers receive at least eight hours of AI curriculum per year, including hands-on work with chatbots and lessons on AI ethics, as the country seeks to build a new generation of home-grown AI talent. As of late 2024, China’s Ministry of Education had also piloted AI programs in 184 schools nationwide, with an eye to expand successful models across the country. This push balances enthusiasm with caution, officials have underlined the need for “cautious, balanced approaches to avoid over-dependence on technology,” even as they race to lead in AI. In the United States, there is not (yet) a single national AI-in-education policy, but the federal government has been active in guidance. The former U.S. Department of Education’s “AI and the Future of Teaching and Learning” report (May 2023) laid out broad recommendations, centering people (students, teachers) in AI design, assuring safety and efficacy, promoting transparency, and advancing equity, which have informed subsequent federal actions. Following a 2023 White House Executive Order under the Biden administration, the Department issued a 74-page toolkit for K-12 schools on implementing AI, covering how to mitigate risks (bias and privacy breaches), craft data policies, and evaluate AI vendors. This came as nearly half of U.S. states developed their own AI guidelines for schools, underscoring the need for more unified direction.
International organisations are attempting to coordinate these efforts and fill evidence gaps. UNESCO has positioned itself as a convener and norm-setter on AI in education, advocating a human-centric approach. In 2019 it released the Beijing Consensus on AI in Education, and more recently UNESCO published the first global guidance on generative AI in education, 2023, to help countries plan both immediate actions and long-term policies. It has also developed AI competency frameworks for students and teachers, essentially digital literacy standards for the AI age, to ensure that as nations roll out AI, they simultaneously prepare learners and educators with the knowledge to engage critically with these tools. Meanwhile, the OECD has launched an AI and the Future of Skills initiative, gathering data on how AI is actually being used in classrooms and its impact on outcomes. An OECD working paper in 2024 urged policymakers to balance the potential benefits of AI with ethical considerations, recommending steps to address privacy, bias, and the risk of commercial exploitation of student data. Across these policy discourses, a common refrain is emerging, education must remain “human-centered” even as it becomes high-tech. That means keeping teachers in the loop, protecting student agency and well-being, and using AI to elevate rather than replace human judgment in education.
Assessment in the Age of AI
As AI permeates education, a deeper philosophical debate has come to the fore, What knowledge and skills should schools prioritise when facts are at everyone’s fingertips and AI can solve many procedural tasks? The role of education in society is being re-conceived in light of AI’s capabilities. One unambiguous implication is that pure content memorisation is less vital than it once was, when a student can ask an AI assistant virtually any factual question and get a quick answer, the value of stockpiling information fades. Instead, educators are shifting focus to higher-order cognitive skills, critical thinking to assess AI-provided information, creativity to do what AI cannot, problem-solving in novel situations, and socio-emotional skills like communication, collaboration and empathy. In an AI-saturated world, knowing how to learn may be more important than any specific bit of knowledge, since continuous learning will be the norm. Schools are thus increasingly “learning to learn” and adaptability, so that students can update their skills alongside ever evolving AI tools.
Moreover, AI literacy itself is becoming a core competency for the 21st century. Just as basic ICT skills became essential in the 2000s, understanding AI, at least at a conceptual level, is now seen as critical for all students. This doesn’t mean every child must code a machine-learning algorithm, but they should graduate with an understanding of what AI and associated technologies can and cannot do, the data it relies on, and the ethical issues it raises (algorithmic bias to impacts on jobs). Countries around the world are embedding these topics into curricula. China’s move to start AI lessons from primary school is one striking example; students as young as six in Beijing are now learning about chatbots, basic AI concepts and ethics as part of the standard curriculum. Other countries are following suit, South Korea has added AI courses in high school, the United Kingdom is exploring an AI-focused update to its computing curriculum, and India launched an “AI for All” awareness program aiming to demystify AI for students and the general public. This trend recognises that citizens of posterity will be coexisting and working with AI in every field, and thus education must prepare people to do so wisely.
Indubitably, AI’s rise is prompting a recalibration of opportunity structures in education and the labor market. On one hand, AI could democratise access to top-tier instruction, a student in a remote village can have a personal e-tutor as effective as any elite coach, potentially narrowing gaps between rich and poor regions. On the other hand, those who master working with AI will gain a competitive edge, possibly widening the gap between digital haves and have-nots. This puts a premium on ensuring broad access to AI tools and teaching everyone how to leverage them. It also raises the imperativeness of credentials and lifelong learning, traditional degrees may matter less if employers can directly assess skills through AI-based evaluation methodologies or if on-demand training can substitute for formal education. We may see education systems placing more weight on portfolios, project work, and continuous certification of skills (sometimes delivered via AI platforms) rather than only on high-stakes exams or diplomas. In essence, societies are beginning to ask: What does it mean to be an educated person when you have AI as an ever-present augment? The answers are still unfolding, but they point toward an education that stresses what makes us human, our ability to think critically, act ethically, and innovate creatively, while embracing AI as a powerful partner in the learning journey.
A Global Balancing Act
From one-room preschools to massive open online courses, the influence of artificial intelligence is being felt at every tier of education across the globe. This metamorphosis is explicitly uneven, leaping ahead in some contexts, lagging in others, but it is undeniably underway. The world is witnessing AI-enabled education systems that can adapt to learners, crunch data for insights, and transcend barriers of geography and language. This brings extraordinary opportunities to enhance teaching, learning and equity at scale. Yet it also confronts us with rigorous challenges around ethics, fairness, and the role of humans. Crafting the right balance will require informed, forward-thinking policies and the collective wisdom of educators, technologists, parents, and students themselves. As one international report put it, AI’s integration in education should be “responsible… to foster a more inclusive, adaptable and forward-looking educational landscape” . Achieving that vision is a high-order task. But if we succeed, the payoff could be profound, a world in which lifelong learning is enriched by intelligent tutors and tools available to all, and where education systems empower every individual to thrive alongside increasingly intelligent machines. The global journey toward that future has only just begun, and its outcome will shape generations to come.