Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Our Inclusive Future
This post is part of our blog series focused on sharing resources about artificial intelligence and education.
By Yvette G. Murphy, Senior Global Education Advisor
Human agency allows us to create the world we envision. The first two blogs in the AI, Education, and Our Humanity series promoted our capacity to build competency in artificial intelligence (AI) literacy to ensure education and learning continue to be human-centered and human-guided. Our personal agency to respond to, participate in, and influence a rapidly changing technological environment depends upon our willingness to grow, adapt, and be future-thinking.
AI won’t define the future of humanity; humans will.
The theme for this year’s International Day of Education, which we celebrate each January 24, is Artificial Intelligence and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation. This day is dedicated to exploring how we can ensure teachers and learners “retain control over this new class of technology and are able to direct it towards desired objectives that respect human rights and advance progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.” It highlights education’s role in growing AI literacy competencies to preserve human agency in the use and development of AI tools and technology.
Indeed, a human-centered approach is necessary for responsible deployment of AI in education systems to support and strengthen educators’ capacity to focus on “building relationships, understanding individual student needs, and fostering motivation.”
The Future of Learning and Work
When used effectively and responsibly in the classroom, AI has the potential to transform teaching and learning to meet the daily needs in learning settings and shape and respond to the future of education, as outlined in the World Economic Forum (WEF) report Shaping the Future of Learning: The Role of AI in Education 4.0.
In a large classroom with diverse language learning and literacy needs, for example, “authentic assessment” can be a challenge. Bilingual classroom teacher CharMone’ Pérez, featured in the article “Enhancing Assessment and Personalized Learning Through Artificial Intelligence,” uses an AI-powered tool called Amira to lessen assessment burdens, freeing her to individualize instruction and positively impact learning outcomes.
The use of AI by classroom teachers will continue to grow, and it will be important for educators to create communities through which they can learn effective and responsible ways to use it. In an upcoming online event hosted by Childhood Education International, teachers will have the opportunity to learn about AI tools and applications and receive tips for getting started with AI in the classroom.
AI can support teachers to be more efficient with daily administrative tasks, assessment, and meeting the needs of their students through personalized learning. Further, when AI is integrated into the curricula, students benefit from learning alongside and applying AI technology, thereby increasing their AI literacy and developing innovation skills, which are necessary for their future work.
Human Agency Includes Us All
Lifelong learning opportunities are possible if the application of AI technology in learning contexts is guided by core principles of inclusion and equity, a topic explored by UNESCO in their event “Lifelong learning in the Age of AI,” as part of the International Day of Education.
AI has the potential to help improve access to quality learning opportunities for vulnerable communities and promote improved inclusion and equity.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report, Artificial Intelligence and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, highlights ways in which AI technology can significantly benefit persons with disabilities by promoting inclusive equality in areas such as employment, education, and independent living. To protect the rights of vulnerable communities in social protection and humanitarian contexts, the application of AI can support greater agency for all. For example, AI could speed up information processing to help social and humanitarian workers and make human-centered decisions more quickly. This would mean that potentially more people are reached and served.
The Social Protection Podcast episode, “Harnessing AI for Social Protection: Opportunities and Risks,” explores how AI can make social protection systems more inclusive, enhancing human agency. It also raises important risks and challenges on the use of AI in sensitive contexts where there is the potential to exclude of those most in need of protection. One of those risks is algorithmic biases that may lead to unfair treatment or exacerbate exclusion of those most in need of social protection. Over-reliance of AI technology introduces an ethical concern if it reduces the role of human oversight in social protection decision-making, where decisions are made devoid of context, community input, and empathy.
Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Future – Universal Design
Our use of AI needs to be informed by an emphasis on inclusive, equity, and collaborative co-creation with individuals and communities. The potential issues described above can be mitigated if AI technology development is grounded in inclusive, human-centered design.
Just as inclusive education is grounded in pedagogical practices such as Universal Design for Learning, an inclusive future relies on universal design from the start. As Sara Minkara, U.S. Special Advisor on International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State, explains in a podcast targeted to AI developers, “[When] you bring people with disabilities into the system, society, and innovation [, it allows for] so much more innovation and benefit to the technology world,” thus, leading us to a more inclusive future.
AI Resource Roundup
Below are some resources to explore related to AI, education, and inclusion.
Education
Shaping the Future of Learning: The Role of AI in Education 4.0 (report)
World Economic Forum, 28 April 2024
This report explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can transform education systems to better prepare students for future economic demands. The report emphasizes that AI should not replace teachers but can handle administrative tasks, allowing educators to focus more on engaging with students. It also highlights AI’s potential to provide immediate, detailed feedback, enabling personalized learning experiences and promoting digital literacy among students. The report underscores the importance of integrating AI to enhance educational outcomes while maintaining the essential human elements of teaching.
Enhancing Assessment and Personalized Learning Through Artificial Intelligence (article)
Jennifer J. Chen and ChareMone’ Perez, Childhood Education Innovations, November/December 2023
The article “Enhancing Assessment and Personalized Learning Through Artificial Intelligence” in Childhood Education Innovations explores how AI is transforming educational assessments and personalizing learning experiences. AI-driven adaptive learning systems analyze student data to tailor educational content, providing personalized pathways that cater to individual strengths and weaknesses. These systems offer real-time feedback, enabling educators to make data-driven decisions and implement timely interventions. The article also addresses ethical considerations, emphasizing the importance of transparency, data privacy, and mitigating biases in AI applications to ensure equitable learning opportunities for all students.
Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI (webinar recording)
UIL-UNESCO, accessed on January 24, 2025
The webinar brought together policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to revisit the idea of lifelong learning in the age of emerging technologies, with thematic focus on lifelong learning as a concept, workplace learning, digital competencies of adult educators, and bridging the grey digital divide.
Our Humanity
United Nations Office of the High Commission for Human Rights, 28 December 2021
Among the key highlights from this report are the opportunities and risks and challenges that AI presents for ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities. AI technology can significantly benefit persons with disabilities by promoting inclusive equality in areas such as employment, education, and independent living. Despite its advantages, risks include biases in AI algorithms that can lead to exclusionary practices, such as in employment recruitment processes where automated systems might inadvertently filter out candidates with disabilities. In summary, while AI holds promise for advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, it is crucial to address potential risks through inclusive and rights-based approaches.
How AI Can Help Boost Disability Inclusion (podcast)
The NVIDIA AI Podcast, 29 November 2024
The audience for the NVIDIA AI Podcast is developers and designers of AI tools – AI tools designed keeping disability in mind. In this episode, Sara Minkara, U.S. Special Advisor on International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State, and Timothy Shriver, chairman of the board of Special Olympics, discuss AI’s potential to enhance inclusive education and disability inclusion.
Harnessing AI for Social Protection: opportunities and risks (podcast)
Social Protection Podcast, 9 January 2025
The Social Protection Podcast episode titled “Harnessing AI for Social Protection: Opportunities and Risks,” released on January 10, 2025, delves into the integration of AI into social protection systems worldwide and discusses how AI can enhance social protection by supporting decision-makers’ ability to target and adapt service. It also explores the challenges and ethical considerations of AI implementation in sensitive protection and humanitarian contexts. It emphasizes the importance of implementing safeguards to ensure data security and uphold ethical principles, aiming to enhance social protection systems without compromising fairness, inclusion, and accountability.
CE International Tech Session
Join CE International’s Center for Professional Learning for a tech session focused on AI for teachers. Zhanna Blazhivska and Alisa Vereshchagin will present information about AI tools and applications and share tips for getting started with AI in the classroom.
January 30, 12pm ET / 7pm Kyiv 📅
This event will be hosted on our online community space. If you are a member of our online community, please RSVP with this link. If you are not already a part of the community, please join here. Participants can RSVP and will get a notification when the event starts. Note that there will be no additional link specific to the event.
Disclaimer: The thoughts, opinions, and synthesized knowledge belong to the authors, and the resources shared are not meant to define CE International’s stance on education and AI.
If you have any resources related to AI and Education, please feel free to send them to Yvette G. Murphy, Senior Global Education Advisor, at ymurphy@ceinternational1892.org
About the Author
Yvette G. Murphy, Senior Global Education Advisor
Yvette Murphy is a skilled global education professional who is values-centered and has over 15 years’ experience supporting the learning and growth of children and educators worldwide through classroom teaching, program development, professional learning, and global advocacy. She is passionate about ensuring equity, inclusion, and social justice for most impacted and historically under-resourced and disadvantaged children and communities.
Yvette’s dynamic work experience in the private sector and with non-profit organizations demonstrates strong systems-thinking skills, a passion for innovation, and an ability to build bridges. She has a master’s degree in international education with a focus on non-formal and alternative education from The George Washington University