AI in Education Requires Ethics, Inclusion, and Governance, Says UNESCO
17 December 2025
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UNESCO publications examine initiatives, public policies, and challenges related to the use of artificial intelligence in education, with a focus on equity, governance, and students’ rights.
Three new UNESCO publications place artificial intelligence (AI) at the center of the debate on the future of education. The texts highlight both the technology’s transformative potential and the risks associated with its improper use. UNESCO argues that AI must serve educational priorities and the common good, guided by principles such as human rights, equity, inclusion, and public accountability.
Among the highlights is the recognition of four initiatives awarded in Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, and the United Kingdom. These projects stood out for promoting AI education with a civic, ethical, and accessible focus, reaching hundreds of thousands of students and teachers across different contexts. The examples show that technology can be integrated in ways that are contextualized, aligned with local realities, and socially meaningful.
Another central theme of the publications is the training of public policymakers. During Digital Learning Week, workshops equipped education leaders with the skills needed to understand every stage of AI projects, from initial assessment to implementation. The sessions addressed issues such as governance, data quality, and impact assessment, reinforcing the idea that teachers and educators should play an active role in the development and adaptation of these technologies. This approach aims to prevent the adoption of standardized solutions that are disconnected from educational contexts.
The report AI and Education: Protecting the Rights of Learners deepens this discussion by framing education as a human right directly linked to access to connectivity and digital technologies. The document highlights persistent inequalities in access to the internet and devices, compounded by factors such as gender, disability, language, age, and geographic location. It also warns of risks including digital exclusion, algorithmic bias, weaknesses in data protection, threats to cultural and linguistic diversity, and the absence of clear accountability mechanisms.
To address these challenges, UNESCO proposes a digital transformation guided by the 5C framework—coordination, content, capacity, connectivity, and cost—and reaffirms its role in providing direct support to dozens of countries. This support includes the development of curricula, AI competency frameworks, guidelines for the use of generative AI, and the implementation of the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. Through these efforts, the organization consolidates a global agenda in defense of ethical, inclusive, and human-centered AI in education.
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Would you like to explore the analyses, recommendations, and examples in more detail? Access the original UNESCO articles linked in the text and review the full content on AI and education.
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