AI Observatory: Waypoints & Signals – Issue 13
Signals of the week: improvised rules, smarter school mapping, and rewriting the script on AI readiness
Each week, we spotlight signals of change in AI and education – and consider what they might mean for the future of learning in low- and middle-income countries. Using the Three Horizons framework, we track what’s beginning to upgrade existing systems, what may soon disrupt the status quo, and what could transform learning in the age of AI.
Upgrade: Incremental change within the system
Chilean teacher’s stamp sparks debate
A Chilean teacher’s custom stamp – reading “I suspect use of AI. Must explain orally.” – has gone viral across Latin America, stirring debate on social media about how AI is used in classrooms, and how to respond when the rules aren’t yet clear. (Source: T13, 27th July 2025)
Why this matters now… behind the meme is a real unease. We’re hearing the same in our teacher surveys: practice is outpacing policy, leaving educators to improvise – risking inequity where support and training are uneven.
Disrupt: Innovations challenge the status quo
A data science alliance in Togo
Togo’s government, working with local data scientists and CEGA, is building a national platform to use AI, satellite imagery, and ground data for smarter public decision-making. The early focus is agriculture, but education is next – including pinpointing priority areas for school construction. (Source: UC Berkeley Research, 25th July 2025)
Watch for… how this locally-led data science model influences the region. This approach signals a growing shift: policy shaped by predictive data, with AI supporting – not replacing – human decision-makers.
Transform: New visions of the future
Argentina links AI readiness to deeper reform
In a new national plan to integrate AI into classrooms, Argentina argues that education must confront three foundational challenges: stop attributing human qualities like intention to AI (narrative), shift from rote memorization to meaning-making (model), and adopt a more agile, responsible approach to integration (paradigm). (Source: Official website of the Argentine State, 25th July 2025)
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We’d love to hear from you! What’s been shaping your thinking on AI? Drop your thoughts (and reading recommendations) in the comments. Explore more from EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory.
EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory is made possible with the support of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
