Weekly Update on AI in Edcuation May 16, 2025

I am trying something new and seeing how much I can keep up with. As some of you know, I am collaborating on the AI-for-Education.org initiative through my work at the Team4Tech Foundation.

As part of that work we are focused on supporting education in under-resourced communities. In my role, I have to be sure to keep up with what is happening on a global scale.

So… I’m going to try sharing what I’m learning (let’s see how this works). Here is a recap from this week.

🌍 Africa

Zambia’s Ministry of Education is integrating generative AI into higher education, aiming to enhance learning through smart classrooms and personalized teaching, while ensuring ethical safeguards. An important quote from Minister of Education Douglas Siakalima in this one: “Effective management of AI tools is essential to prevent misuse and ensure that they serve as enhancers of the educational experience rather than detractors.” Read more at https://techafricanews.com/2025/05/13/ai-for-education-zambia-integrates-generative-ai-into-university-learning

Speaking at the Deep Tech Summit, experts are advocating for upskilling and reskilling in AI within African academia to harness the transformative potential of AI in digital economies. An important quote from Khalid Badou, Chief of Staff and Director of Institutional Affairs at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in this one, “Across the world, everyone is starting from the same point; everyone is discovering what AI can do, how to manage it, and trying to understand how it will impact our daily lives — in industry, in universities and beyond.” Read more at https://www.africanews.com/amp/2025/05/12/calls-for-ai-skills-development-in-african-universities

🌏 Asia

This week a possible strategic partnership between India and Armenia in artificial intelligence (AI), education, and research was shared. Local news outlets emphasized the significance of South-South cooperation. Both nations aim to enhance their AI capabilities, with India focusing on expanding its AI ecosystem and Armenia seeking to diversify its technological partnerships. Read more at https://www.orfonline.org/research/promoting-south-south-partnerships-the-potential-of-india-armenia-collaboration-in-ai-education-and-research

Sri Balaji University, Pune, plans to integrate AI modules into its School of Liberal Arts curriculum to equip students with skills relevant to AI-influenced creative sectors. Preeti Joshi, principal of School of Liberal Arts, SBUP, noted that “Most liberal arts students pursue careers in creative fields like films, theatre, media, content creation, advertising, creative writing, PR, politics, art and event management, where AI tools is set to play a major role…. So, to prepare them for this future situation, we will introduce them to AI through specially designed educational modules spread across the bachelor’s programme in liberal arts.” Read more at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/ai-modules-to-be-introduced-in-liberal-arts-courses-at-sbup/articleshow/121120448.cms

🌎 Latin America

The Pulitzer Center is convening a three-day virtual Peer Learning Circle from July 23–25, 2025, focused on advancing AI accountability in Latin America. This initiative is part of the South-to-South AI Accountability CoLab, which aims to strengthen the connection between artificial intelligence accountability reporting and civil society engagement in the Global South. The target audience for this event includes civil society organizations, academics, and researchers from Latin America, Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. Participants will also have the opportunity to apply for micro-grants to support AI accountability projects inspired by the learning circle. Read more at https://pulitzercenter.org/event/south-south-ai-accountability-colabs-peer-learning-circle-latin-america

🇺🇸 United States

Chegg announced plans to lay off approximately 22% of its workforce, citing declining demand due to the rise of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT over traditional EdTech tools. For those that do not know, Chegg (in the simplest terms) is an education platform that offers textbooks, tutoring, and more. Chegg was most recently on my radar when they sued Google in in connection to the AI summaries that often pop up instead of native search results. Read more at https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/chegg-lay-off-22-workforce-ai-tools-shake-up-edtech-industry-2025-05-12

This week a New York Times Opinion Piece provided a thought-provoking view of how AI could negatively impact critical thinking in K12 schools. This quote caught my attention, “AI encourages surface perfectionism without developing the tools and stamina necessary for true critical thinking.” Even though many of the people I work with are focused on how to position AI in education it is equally important to understand the downfalls and concerns. Read more at https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/opinion/trump-ai-elementary.html