Artificial Intelligence and Education: Challenges and Opportunities

I am delighted to celebrate the International Day of Education, and I thank the Group of Friends for Education and Lifelong Learning for the invitation to join today’s event.

Today, we reflect on the dynamic interplay between education and artificial intelligence.

Today, we also affirm that access to inclusive and equitable quality education, a pledge embodied in Sustainable Development Goal 4, is a human right for everyone, everywhere.

Across the globe, we see that access to digital technologies is enhancing the transformative power of education:

-     From Bhutan, where every school is now connected to the internet,  

-     To Uzbekistan, where the “One Million Programmers” project is encouraging teachers to complete digital training,

-     Or to Trinidad and Tobago, where online content is preparing students for the job market,

-     And across Africa, where 13 countries are establishing University Innovation Pods through the “timbuktoo” initiative, harnessing the talents of young entrepreneurs.

We must continue to close the access gaps and tear down the systemic barriers that leave far too many learners behind.

The Global Digital Compact, adopted as an annex to the Pact for the Future, highlights the urgency of addressing digital inequalities.

It also highlights the importance of providing learners with the tools they need to keep their skills relevant in a rapidly changing world.

It calls for establishing national digital skills strategies, adapting teacher training and education curricula and providing for adult training fit for the digital age.

Moreover, by investing in universal internet connectivity for schools, we can forge new pathways for uninterrupted learning.

For example, launched by the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations Children’s Fund in 2019, the Giga initiative – aims to connect every school in the world to the internet by 2030. It shows the promise of this approach.

Further, by promoting educational resources that are culturally relevant – including those that highlight multilingualism and diversity – we ensure that education meets the needs of learners in all contexts, all over the world.

This is especially true for students from marginalized communities in different parts of the world. Research shows that instruction in mother tongue language improves everything from student engagement to overall academic achievement.

In the Global Digital Compact, Member States have committed to advance equitable and inclusive approaches to harnessing artificial intelligence.

I am convinced that if harnessed well, artificial intelligence can help us open new educational horizons, enable personalized training and dramatically expand access to underserved communities.

Indeed, with the right ethical guardrails in place, we can focus squarely on those who need education most.

Of course, artificial intelligence cannot fully understand or respond to the complex social and emotional dynamics of an educational environment on its own.

By the way, human intelligence is irreplaceable. 

Human interactions and emotional intelligence are and will remain vital to meeting students’ individual needs and fostering inclusive learning that encourages critical thinking.

We need transparent and ethical artificial intelligence systems that foster trust among educators, learners, and communities.

Systems that complement traditional approaches to both learning and teaching,

Systems that prioritize the needs of marginalized and underserved groups,

And systems that augment human efforts to realize the aims of Sustainable Development Goal 4.

I congratulate the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and other partners for the work they are doing in the field.

As we navigate the integration of artificial intelligence into education, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4.

By fostering literacy in artificial intelligence and placing people at the heart of our efforts, we can channel the greatest potential of this evolving technology to ensure no learner is left behind and that the right ethical considerations are solidly in place.

Thank you.

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