World Bank Advocates for Balanced Approach in AI for Education

The World Bank has acknowledged artificial intelligence's (AI) growing influence in education, highlighting its potential to bring both opportunities and challenges.

In a recent article by Jaime Saavedra, Human Development Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Ezequiel Molina, Senior Economist, the organisation emphasized that when implemented effectively, AI can enhance learning outcomes, improve teacher training, and provide specialised support for students.

A notable example comes from Ecuador, where an AI tutoring programme successfully improved students' math skills at a cost of just $18 per student.

While public and institutional concerns about AI are valid—and even necessary for responsible oversight—AI's capacity to drive positive change in education remains promising.

Worries about AI's Impact on Education

Critics have raised important concerns about AI's impact on equity, effectiveness, and the nature of learning itself.

However, the World Bank argues that AI is already integral to many aspects of society, making it crucial to address these challenges now.

The World Bank contends that promoting AI is not irresponsible, even in schools lacking the infrastructure to fully support it.

While acknowledging the need for basic resources and well-qualified teachers, the World Bank highlights that AI, when properly implemented, can bridge these gaps more quickly.

It can scale teacher training and deliver educational content to remote areas, ensuring that students who need additional support can access it more effectively.

Addressing the concern of whether AI will serve humanity or the other way around, the World Bank acknowledges the risks, particularly given that AI development is largely concentrated in the Global North.

To mitigate this, the World Bank advocates for strategic engagement, including cultivating local AI talent through scholarships, developing culturally relevant content, ensuring data sovereignty, and strengthening teachers' digital skills.

Uruguay provides a strong example, having developed regulatory guidelines that respect local teaching methods while embracing AI, ensuring the technology supports rather than dictates their educational goals.

Will AI Promote Complacency & Laziness?

Since the rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, a common concern among teachers and parents has been their potential impact on student's work ethic.

While it is true that such tools could encourage intellectual complacency and superficial learning, the World Bank argues that the key lies in how they are used.

AI tools can act as a high-IQ partner for students, aiding them in brainstorming or completing assignments.

However, as the World Bank points out, AI did not invent cheating; it merely amplifies the choices students already face.

Ultimately, it is up to individuals to decide how to use these tools constructively.

Rather than stifling learning, AI presents an opportunity to rethink education—focusing less on rote tasks like summarising texts, which AI can handle, and more on developing higher-order skills like critical thinking, creativity, and analysis.

In Nigeria, for example, World Bank pilot programmes revealed that when students use AI tools thoughtfully, they engage with the material on a deeper level.

Instead of simply asking students to summarise content, teachers can encourage them to critique AI-generated analyses, compare interpretations, and collaborate with AI to brainstorm innovative ideas.

The World Bank emphasizes that great teachers can foster critical thinking through guided conversations, and with AI, they have powerful tools to design lessons and activities that address complex skills.

Responsible AI Implementation in Schools

In education, scientific breakthroughs that translate directly into classroom practice have been rare, in contrast to fields like medicine where research quickly leads to tangible innovations.

The World Bank believes AI can change this by applying the evidence-based methods used in medicine, pharmaceuticals, and food safety—pushing forward without letting fear of innovation hinder progress.

However, just as no new medical treatment or food product reaches the public without rigourous testing, AI in education requires a systematic, careful approach.

The World Bank argues that true success in integrating AI will come when we can harness its potential while keeping the human element at the heart of the learning process.

Education, which revolves around human interaction, has the opportunity to use AI as a powerful tool to enhance this interaction, but not to replace it.

By adhering to this principle, AI can serve educational values rather than dominate them.

The article concluded:

“The future of education will be inevitably influenced by technological changes. With intelligence and creativity, we can use these tools to help schools, teachers, and students who need the most support. Success depends on making smart investments while keeping the human element at the center. Remember: education is fundamentally about human interaction. AI should make this interaction more effective and enjoyable; it won’t replace it. By focusing on this principle, we can ensure that technology serves our educational values, not the other way around.”