Education is a central human right, crucial for lifting people out of poverty and fostering growth. Yet in 2024, 251 million children and young people worldwide remain out of school due to social, economic, and cultural barriers, a decrease of only 1% in nearly a decade. This stark reality calls for innovative solutions that expand access to learning globally.
AI has the potential to level the playing field in education. It can create personalized learning experiences, bring complex subjects within reach, and open doors for learners who might otherwise be left behind. The real challenge is not whether AI can teach, it can, but whether access will remain a privilege. Making AI truly equitable means designing tools that work for all learners, including those in low-resource settings, multilingual contexts, or on mobile devices, meeting students where they are rather than expecting them to adapt.
Real-world initiatives illustrate this potential. Khanmigo, Khan Academy's GPT-based tutor, provides personalized guidance that adapts to individual learning paces, making education more interactive and accessible. In higher education and professional domains, Luri's BriefCase provides practical support by helping learners generate briefs, understand complex laws, and navigate legal information. These tools turn knowledge into empowerment, making education and rights literacy more accessible.
AI applications in education are diverse. Speech recognition software transcribes spoken words, chatbots provide support outside classroom hours, interactive games foster engagement, and virtual classrooms enable remote learning. AI-powered language learning apps, such as Duolingo, give learners practical tools to explore and apply knowledge. AI tutoring platforms provide guidance, explanations, and structured learning that turn complex concepts into actionable insights, helping students and individuals understand and apply what they learn.
Yet the benefits of AI-powered learning are not distributed equally. In regions with limited internet, low digital literacy, or scarce resources, these tools risk widening existing gaps. Ethical AI in education must begin with equitable access, ensuring technology empowers every learner, not just the privileged few.
By integrating AI responsibly, education can become a universal foundation for human rights enforcement. Tools like Luri's BriefCase demonstrate how structured, explainable AI can democratize access, turning knowledge into actionable empowerment, and helping learners everywhere become the next generation of skilled leaders.
Written by Ana Matilde N.
