The UN Secretary-General marked the International Day of Education by underlining that education is the base for human growth and development, and he termed it a basic human right. This year, the focus was on AI and what it portended. Specifically, the focus was on both the great potential and risks of AI on our society.
The guidelines provided by the UN Secretary-General listed some of the ways in which AI could provide long-term benefits to education-some of which include enhancing information access and improving learning tools. However, he cautioned against the risks of misalignment between human intentions and AI-driven impacts.
“Education is an essential building block for every person to reach their full potential, and for societies and economies to grow and flourish,” said UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.
“But the tremendous rewards are matched by some daunting risks. As AI-driven systems become more powerful, human intention and machine-driven impacts can easily misalign.”
UNESCO, dedicating the day to the challenges and opportunities of AI in education, calling for a significant increase in investment to train teachers and students in the responsible use of AI. “AI offers major opportunities, provided that its deployment in schools is guided by clear ethical principles. To reach its full potential, this technology must complement the human and social dimensions of learning, rather than replace them.”, said Director-General, Audrey Azoulay.
Many efforts, including the Global Digital Compact and AI Competency Frameworks for educators and learners, have been brought to light with an intention to keep humanity at the center of AI. The initiatives wish to govern AI responsibly, such that these tools contribute to rather than replace educational human dimensions of education.
However promising, AI is still a major worldwide challenge in the field of education. A UNESCO survey made it apparent once again that only some 10 percent of schools and universities have developed AI integration frameworks while almost 40% of countries restrict technology use, i.e. mobile phone use, in the classroom.These divisions reflect varying levels of AI acceptance and preparedness across regions.
Providing quality education for all poses many more challenges beyond technology, as conflict, social barriers, and other reasons still keep 251 million children out of school. Furthermore, violence in schools has exacerbated these challenges, as recent data by UNESCO reveals that one in three learners says they have been physically attacked and one in ten has experienced cyberbullying.
On International Day of Education, the world is reminded to uphold inclusive and safe learning environments while others are alerted to the incorporation of AI in a responsible manner by the leaders. In the near future, navigating the complexities of AI in education will necessitate making certain that education practices guarantee equity and ethics for all.
Source: https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159381
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