How might we avoid dependence by establishing open, decentralised AI-powered networks for learning? In a recent strategic foresight study in partnership with IDRC, EdTech Hub observed a trend that the increase in AI-enabled education would create for-profit / ‘Big Tech’ dominance of AI products in education systems. Policymakers need to build resilience against a future in which private-sector companies have…
Two main transformative factors are rapidly changing the future of education. Developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and the increase in conflict and crisis globally are disrupting learning, the management of education systems, and even what teaching looks like in many contexts. Alongside this, the international cooperation space is shrinking and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are facing increasing budgetary and…
This summary discusses the conversation from a Community of Interest event on Artificial Intelligence for AI literacy for tertiary learners, a collaboration by the World Bank and EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory and Action Lab, supported by FCDO. Conversations on AI literacy are becoming timely as it is a moment when the global focus on AI in education is accelerating at…
Three months into AI Observatory’s Ministries Challenge I’m motivated by solving our own problem”, says Shefat Islam, a Research Officer at the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education’s (DSHE) Research and Innovation Division in Bangladesh, “by finding out what are the root causes of students dropping out [of school] at secondary level. I want to know, how can we support…
How might we move from one-off partnerships to structured, long-term alliances between governments, industry, and academia? Multi-stakeholder collaboration is considered an important cornerstone of responsible AI in education (OECD, 2023; World Bank), but sustaining those collaborations can be a challenge. EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory is exploring how ministries of education can align partnerships – which means driving equitable outcomes through…
How might we create policies and programmes that enable the use of AI in education while protecting learners and national priorities? Realising the benefits of AI in education, while managing its risks, calls for collaboration across public, private, and civic actors, supported by strong public oversight and safeguards (Molina et al., 2024; World Bank, 2024). As ‘Big Tech’ companies expand…
At EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory, we are creating a space where teachers in low- and middle-income countries can shape how AI is used in education. Our goal is not only to amplify their experiences, concerns, and hopes, but to turn them into action. Through our Teacher-in-the-Loop survey, we asked teachers for their views on AI in education, and more than…
This summary discusses the conversation from a virtual meeting that covers lessons and what worked with the Sierra Leone GIS preference matching algorithm and lessons from other regions including South America. Sierra Leone faces long-standing teacher deployment challenges: too few qualified teachers in the rural and remote schools, high turnover in certain regions, subject specialist shortages, and striking underrepresentation of…
How might we connect and automate governance processes to overcome capacity gaps and gain efficiency and learning? Traditional ways of tackling problems in the public sector are being challenged in an era of rapid change (Bjarnason et al., 2024), while skills shortages in education systems remain pronounced in many low- and middle-income countries (UNESCO, 2024). EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory is…
How might we optimise ‘behind the scenes’ tasks at every level of the education system? Governments and administrators are increasingly using AI to improve efficiency (OECD, 2024; Rahman & Freeman, 2025). Yet, the challenge lies in integrating these technologies in ways that build trust, safeguard data, and align with human values. EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory is exploring how ministries of…
