AI and the Future of Education: Disruptions, Dilemmas, and Direction
AI is changing the landscape of education - with one-third of the world's population offline, cutting-edge AI models are only accessible to those with subscriptions, infrastructure, and language advantages. Inequality is deepening – this divide determines not only who has access to AI, but also whose knowledge, values, and language dominate the systems that influence education. Philosophical, ethical, and pedagogical dilemmas exist – we explore the disruptive impact of AI on education, gathering insights from thinkers, leaders, and changemakers around the world. We need a global forum for dialogue - 21 papers explore everything from dismantling evaluation systems to fostering an ethic of care, creating a shared space to discuss across differences and reimagine inclusive education in the AI era. Building on UNESCO recommendations - the UNESCO Recommendation on AI Ethics, Guidelines for Generative AI in Education and Research, and the AI Competency Framework for Teachers and Students - with human rights, justice, and inclusion at its core. Step 1: Recognize Your Current Situation AI is entering education. A child in Ghana practices algebra with an AI tutor on WhatsApp. A teenager in the UK confides his anxieties to an AI "companion" who sends comforting messages 24 hours a day. At a university in South Korea, an AI avatar of a prominent professor conducts an entire class in multiple languages. These scenes, unimaginable just a few years ago, are now rapidly spreading across classrooms and homes around the world. But a serious contradiction exists Generative AI is showing mixed results. While personalized AI assistants are available to some, many still don't have access to them. While it promises speed and efficiency, it risks weakening critical thinking and exacerbating gaps in accessibility, gender, and language. It generates data on an unprecedented scale, but also raises unanswered questions about privacy, ethics, sovereignty, and trust. Step 2: Ask a fundamental question We need to redefine humanity AI is more than just a tool. It's fundamentally reshaping how we learn, teach, and understand the world. Ask yourself: → Who is a ‘student’ in the AI era? → Who is the ‘teacher’?
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