India bets on artificial intelligence to transform education, faces governance test

The Indian education system is on the brink of a structural shift as artificial intelligence (AI) moves from experimental tools to core learning infrastructure. With one of the world’s largest student populations, deep digital divides, and rising pressure to modernize learning at scale, India is confronting a major question: can AI improve education outcomes without reinforcing inequality.

A new review published in Education Sciences explores these opportunities and risks. Titled AI in Indian Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Emerging Paths in the Global South, the study examines AI’s potential to personalize learning, improve governance, and address equity concerns, while warning that ethical and infrastructural risks could undermine its promise.

AI adoption accelerates, but uneven access shapes outcomes

The study documents a steady expansion of AI use across Indian schools, colleges, and universities, driven by a mix of public policy initiatives and private-sector innovation. Adaptive learning platforms, AI-driven assessments, learning analytics, and automated administrative systems are increasingly visible in both K–12 and higher education. These tools promise customized learning paths, faster feedback, and more efficient institutional management, aligning closely with national goals under India’s digital education agenda.

Market and policy signals reinforce this momentum. India’s National Education Policy places technology, including AI, at the center of quality and access reforms, while national innovation missions encourage experimentation with digital tools. At the same time, India’s EdTech sector continues to grow, supplying AI-powered tutoring systems, language tools, and performance analytics that are rapidly entering mainstream education.

Yet the adoption remains deeply uneven. Urban, well-funded institutions are far more likely to deploy AI tools than rural schools or under-resourced colleges. Infrastructure gaps, including unreliable connectivity, limited device access, and inconsistent digital platforms, continue to constrain large-scale implementation. Teacher readiness also varies widely, with many educators reporting limited training or uncertainty about how to integrate AI into pedagogy.

These structural differences matter because AI systems depend on stable data flows, consistent usage, and institutional capacity. Where infrastructure is weak, AI tools risk delivering fragmented or superficial benefits. In such settings, reliance on advanced digital systems may even widen learning gaps between students who can access AI-supported education and those who cannot.

The review highlights that India’s linguistic diversity adds another layer of complexity. While natural language processing tools offer potential support for multilingual education, poorly designed systems can introduce language bias or exclude students whose linguistic profiles fall outside dominant datasets. As a result, equitable access remains a central challenge, not a secondary concern.

Personalized learning gains collide with ethical and governance risks

The study found that AI-driven personalization can improve learning experiences when deployed carefully. Adaptive platforms that adjust content, pacing, and assessment based on student performance have shown positive effects on engagement and formative feedback. Intelligent tutoring systems and learning analytics can help identify learning gaps early and support targeted interventions, particularly in contexts where teacher-to-student ratios are high.

However, the study makes clear that these gains come with serious ethical risks. Data privacy, algorithmic bias, and transparency are persistent concerns throughout the literature reviewed. AI systems trained on biased or incomplete data can reinforce existing inequalities, misclassify student ability, or generate rigid learning profiles that limit rather than expand opportunity.

The collection and processing of large volumes of student data further heighten privacy risks. Without clear governance frameworks, students may lose control over how their data are stored, shared, or reused across platforms. In a system as large as India’s, even small governance failures can scale into widespread harm.

To address these risks, the authors place particular emphasis on Self-Sovereign Identity as an emerging governance framework. SSI systems allow individuals to control their digital credentials through secure, cryptographically protected identities, reducing reliance on centralized data repositories. Applied to education, SSI could support secure digital student IDs, verifiable academic records, and portable credentials while minimizing unauthorized data access.

The study argues that such systems are especially relevant for Global South contexts, where data protection laws and institutional capacity may be uneven. Properly implemented, SSI could help ensure that AI-enabled education does not come at the cost of student autonomy or privacy. However, the authors caution that feasibility, cost, and interoperability remain open questions that require further research and careful policy design.

Ethical governance, the study concludes, must extend beyond technical safeguards. Transparent auditing of algorithms, bias mitigation strategies, and clear accountability structures are necessary to build trust among educators, students, and families. Without this trust, resistance to AI adoption is likely to persist, regardless of technological sophistication.

Teachers remain key as AI reshapes classrooms and institutions

Contrary to fears that AI could displace educators, the study reinforces the view that human judgment remains indispensable. While AI can automate administrative tasks and provide data-driven insights, it cannot replace the relational, contextual, and ethical dimensions of teaching. Effective AI integration depends on strengthening, not sidelining, the role of educators.

Teachers stand to benefit from AI tools that reduce workload, support assessment, and offer insights into student progress. At the same time, the study finds widespread concern among educators about training gaps and unclear expectations. Many teachers report uncertainty about how AI systems function, how to interpret their outputs, and how to align them with curriculum goals.

This tension highlights a central risk identified in the research. When AI tools are introduced without adequate professional development, they may be underused, misused, or actively resisted. Sustainable adoption requires long-term investment in teacher training, curriculum alignment, and institutional support structures.

The study also draws attention to age-specific considerations. In early and middle childhood education, AI tools must support, not disrupt, social interaction and emotional development. Overreliance on automated monitoring or performance tracking can affect motivation, identity formation, and student well-being, particularly among adolescents. These risks are amplified in high-stakes assessment environments.

From an institutional perspective, administrators face the challenge of balancing efficiency gains with equity obligations. AI-driven management systems can streamline operations and inform decision-making, but they also require careful oversight to ensure that resource allocation and performance metrics do not inadvertently disadvantage vulnerable groups.

Collaboration across policymakers, institutions, and EdTech developers is essential. AI tools designed without local context, cultural sensitivity, or stakeholder input are unlikely to deliver lasting benefits. Instead, the study calls for participatory governance models that reflect India’s educational diversity and prioritize inclusion.

Overall, AI can strengthen India’s education system, but only if its deployment is guided by strong public policy, ethical safeguards, and sustained investment in teachers and infrastructure. Without these foundations, AI risks becoming another force that amplifies existing disparities rather than closing them.