AI in Education: Are We Asking the Right Questions?

Introduction: AI in Education—Who’s Leading the Conversation?

At BrightMinds, we believe that intentionality isn’t just a strategy—it’s the foundation of ethical AI integration. This month, we’re shifting the conversation about AI in education from passive adoption to proactive leadership.

AI is already shaping classrooms, but who’s driving the decisions? Too often, educators are left out of AI policy discussions, while tech companies and policymakers dictate how these tools are implemented. The result? AI adoption that’s reactive rather than intentional, automated rather than human-centered—and in some cases, even harmful rather than helpful.

As AI gains ground in schools, educators face a choice: wait for others to shape AI’s role in learning, or step up and lead the conversation. By demanding transparency, equity, and educator-driven decision-making, we can ensure AI serves students, not just systems.

This International Women’s Day, we’re also asking a crucial question: Where are the women in AI leadership?

The Future of AI in Education Starts With Who’s in the Room

It’s International Women’s Day, and while we celebrate the women shaping education worldwide, it’s also a moment to reflect on who is driving the future of AI in our schools.

🌍 Did you know? Women make up nearly 70% of teachers globally (UNESCO, 2023), yet they hold less than 25% of leadership roles in tech (World Economic Forum, 2024). When we zoom in on AI leadership, the numbers drop even further—only 12% of AI researchers and 16% of AI faculty positions are held by women (Stanford AI Index, 2023).

So here’s the real question: If AI is shaping the future of education, but the people building it don’t reflect the educators in classrooms, what are we missing?

💡 How Do We Fix This?

• Schools should prioritize AI literacy training—so teachers aren’t just AI users, but informed decision-makers in AI adoption.

• More women need to be in AI research, development, and policy—because if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.

• Education leaders must push for transparency—What data is AI using? Who trained it? Who benefits from AI-driven decisions?

The Challenge: More Questions Than Answers

Schools are racing to integrate AI, yet most educators feel underprepared to use it effectively. Meanwhile, tech companies and policymakers are making big decisions about AI in education—without the voices of teachers and school leaders.

Before we rush to automate grading or roll out AI-powered tutoring, we need to ask:
✅ Why are we using AI in schools? (Efficiency? Equity? Engagement?)
✅ Who benefits from AI-driven decisions? (Students? Teachers? Tech companies?)
✅ How do we train educators to use AI responsibly? (Who’s providing the guidance?)
✅ What safeguards are in place for student data and bias mitigation?

These questions aren’t anti-innovation—they’re about ensuring AI actually serves students, not just the companies that create it.

Practical Applications: AI in Action (When Used Intentionally)

AI isn’t inherently good or bad—it’s about how we use it. Here’s what responsible AI integration can look like:

Enhancing Accessibility: AI-powered tools like Microsoft’s Immersive Reader or Google’s Live Captions help students with reading difficulties, language barriers, and hearing impairments.

Reducing Teacher Workload (Without Replacing Educators): AI-generated lesson planning assistants, like Curipod, support teachers with ideas—not decisions.

Personalized Feedback: AI-driven assessment tools can provide real-time feedback on student writing, but only when paired with teacher oversight.

What to Watch Out For: Some schools are exploring AI-powered surveillance and automated grading—but is this helping students grow, or just expanding control over them?

The Path Forward: AI That Works for Educators, Not Just Tech Companies

AI shouldn’t replace educators—it should empower them. That means:
📍 Involving teachers in AI decisions, not just administrators or tech vendors.
📍 Training female educators in AI leadership to close the gap in decision-making.
📍 Ensuring AI is used for student growth—not just compliance, control, or cost-cutting.

The Research Backs It Up

AI in education isn’t just a trendy innovation—it’s a fundamental shift in how learning is delivered, assessed, and personalized. But while the hype around AI is growing, the research tells a different story: without educator input, AI risks reinforcing biases, increasing inequities, and making opaque decisions that impact students’ futures.

📌 Educators feel unprepared. Studies show that while AI is being rapidly introduced into schools, fewer than 30% of teachers report feeling confident in using AI effectively in the classroom (Holstein et al., 2022). Without structured AI literacy programs for educators, AI integration is happening without the people who understand learning best.

📌 Bias and equity gaps persist. AI-powered decision-making has already been shown to amplify racial, gender, and socioeconomic disparities in education (Nguyen & Williams, 2023). A 2023 study found that automated grading algorithms consistently underscored essays written by students from underrepresented backgrounds, while AI-generated feedback was more favorable toward students who had access to AI-driven writing assistants (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2021).

📌 Women’s voices are missing from AI leadership. Despite the fact that women make up nearly 70% of the global teaching workforce, fewer than 12% of AI researchers and 16% of AI faculty positions are held by women (Stanford AI Index, 2023). This means that the majority of AI systems being implemented in classrooms are being built and trained without the perspective of the people who work most closely with students.

📌 Policymakers and companies are moving faster than educators. Major corporations are investing in AI-driven learning, yet there are few national or global policies guiding AI ethics in schools (Martinez, 2020). Some school districts are banning AI outright, while others are integrating it with no guardrails, leaving teachers caught in the middle.

Where do we go from here? The research is clear: educators must be at the forefront of AI integration. Schools that provide AI literacy training, prioritize ethical policies, and ensure AI tools are used for student empowerment—not surveillance or cost-cutting—are the ones leading the way.

If AI is here to stay, then educators, especially women, must have a seat at the table shaping its role in learning.

Future-Proofing Education: Educators at the Center of Change

The future of education isn’t being written by policymakers or tech companies alone—it’s being shaped by educators who show up every day, ready to innovate, adapt, and lead.

While AI, shifting policies, and new technologies are changing the landscape of learning, one thing remains constant: the critical role of teachers and school leaders in ensuring education works for students, not just systems.

Educators Are the Architects of the Future

In both the U.S. and the EU, education is evolving rapidly.
📌 In the U.S., discussions around AI in education have moved from whether it belongs in schools to how it should be used responsibly. States are taking different approaches, with some investing in AI literacy programs while others focus on regulating AI in student assessments and decision-making.
 📌 In the EU, policies like the AI Act are setting global standards for AI ethics in schools, with a strong focus on data protection, algorithmic transparency, and teacher training.

Regardless of the policy direction, the success of these changes relies on educators. AI can assist, but it cannot replace the human insight, empathy, and expertise that teachers contribute to learning.

How Educators Can Lead the Way

💡 Embrace AI Literacy – Understanding AI isn’t just for policymakers or tech developers. Teachers and school leaders need to be at the table to ensure AI works for education, not against it.

💡 Advocate for Student-Centered AI – AI should enhance learning, not increase surveillance, automate bias, or take shortcuts on real student growth. Teachers are the ones who can ensure AI supports critical thinking, creativity, and inclusivity.

💡 Shape the Conversation – Instead of waiting for top-down policies, educators can lead discussions on how AI should be implemented in schools, what ethical guardrails are needed, and how it can empower both teachers and students.

A Future Built by Educators, Not Just AI

The future of education isn’t about fearing change—it’s about owning it. Every decision about AI in schools should be informed by the people who know learning best: educators.

The Role of Educators in Future-Proofing Learning

Let’s be clear: AI isn’t going to replace teachers. But teachers who use AI effectively will replace those who don’t—not because they’ll lose their jobs, but because students will need educators who can navigate, question, and apply AI critically.

Instead of fearing AI, educators can:
✅ Leverage AI for personalized learning—supporting students at different levels while still keeping human connection at the core.
✅ Use AI as a co-pilot, not an autopilot—AI can assist in brainstorming lesson plans or grading drafts, but it should never replace teacher judgment.
 ✅ Advocate for AI literacy training—so AI isn’t just a tool students use but a topic they understand.

How We Combat AI Fear With Purpose

There’s a lot of dread around AI in education—from cheating concerns to fears about job loss. But the best way to combat uncertainty isn’t avoidance—it’s education and empowerment.

💡 Instead of fearing automation, educators can lead the conversation. AI isn’t just happening to education—it’s something we can shape.
 💡 Instead of worrying about AI replacing creativity, educators can teach students to use it creatively. AI tools like Curipod and Canva AI allow students to create, question, and think critically rather than just consume information.
💡 Instead of banning AI, educators can set clear boundaries. Just like calculators didn’t destroy math education, AI won’t destroy critical thinking—unless we let it.

At the end of the day, the future of education isn’t just about AI—it’s about who’s in charge of it. And if educators aren’t leading the way, someone else will.

References:

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles & Conference Papers

Chiu, T. K. F., & Lim, E. M. (2022). Artificial intelligence in education: Understanding its impact and ethical implications in K-12 learning environments. Computers in Human Behavior, 135, 107468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107468

Holstein, K., Wortman, J., Aleven, V., & Rummel, N. (2022). Exploring human–AI partnerships in education: Designing AI that supports teacher–student collaboration. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 32(1), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-022-00293-3

News Articles & Reports on AI in Education

Axios. (2024, September 16). Salesforce gives $5M to SF public schools to bolster AI education. Axios San Francisco. https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2024/09/16/salesforce-artificial-intelligence-education-grant-sf-public-schools

IBM. (n.d.). IBM SkillsBuild: AI education and digital literacy program. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_SkillsBuild

Jones, R. (2024, March 6). The English schools looking to dispel doom and gloom around AI. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/06/the-english-schools-looking-to-dispel-doom-and-gloom-around-ai

The Times. (2024, February 29). AI cheating surges at universities, prompting reassessment of academic integrity policies. The Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ai-cheating-surges-at-universities-5vktqdsvj