Every year on October 5, the world celebrates educators and their efforts in shaping the lives of countless students across the globe. But with the adoption of AI in education sector, the role of teachers has evolved beyond traditional classroom instruction.

Today, teachers across the globe are encouraged to adapt AI into their everyday workings, from planning lectures for students to setting up question papers, the technology is steadily becoming a part of a child’s education.

But AI is also not without its fair share of problems. Teachers have repeatedly warned about lack of curiosity, creativity and other cognitive abilities in students due to overdependence on AI chatbots. Risks of AI-generated misinformation, AI-generated hallucination and plagiarism have equally troubled educators.

Nevertheless, the positive sides of AI could not be ignored and several governments across the world have partnered with major tech companies to equip teachers with the skills to use AI tools and integrate them into everyday learning, helping both students and teachers adapt to the evolving digital world.

In July Anthropic launched Claude for Teachers, a new program that gives verified K–12 educators in the U.S. free access to premium Claude AI features for a year, for them to cut down on admin work, develop personalized lessons and “spend more time with students.”

Similarly, OpenAI in collaboration with the Centre for AI and Robotics of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) launched in June “AI literacy for schools: Training teachers for a changing world”, under the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) youth and wellbeing grant.

The programme OpenAI EMEA Youth & Wellbeing Grant will support institutions across the EMEA region, which are developing practical tools, research, and initiatives aimed at ensuring AI is safe, responsible, and beneficial for young people.

Similarly, Google along with UNICEF partnered with several Indian state governments to help teachers and students strengthen their AI literacy. As part of the initiative, the company has launched Google AI Educator Series (GES), a mobile-first training programme customized to the unique needs of teachers in schools and higher education institutions.

The Google-UNICEF programme will be kicked-off in collaboration with the governments of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Assam, the Union Territory of Ladakh, and Punjab School Education Board.

However, much needs to be done when it comes to Indian universities for their preparedness for AI-driven education. AI FrontPage spoke to professor Sanjeev Singh, Dean of the Faculty of Technology at Delhi University, who highlighted how Indian institutions currently lacked structured AI literacy programmes, pedagogical frameworks and curricula aligned with the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

Singh highlighted that the critical gap is teacher preparedness; faculty development has been ad-hoc rather than systematic, leaving most teachers unfamiliar with AI tools, hallucination risks, and responsible integration frameworks.

“Curriculum alignment is equally weak, AI is treated as optional rather than foundational literacy woven into core courses,” the professor said.

Professor Sanjeev said that institutions should focus on six key areas for responsible AI integration: clear policies on AI use and academic misconduct, equitable access to AI tools, data privacy and Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act compliance, development of critical thinking and ethical reasoning, sustained teacher support beyond one-time workshops and regular assessment of AI’s impact on learning outcomes and educational inequality.

“Technology adoption driven by enthusiasm rather than evidence has failed too often; institutions must know whether AI helps students think better or merely produces more without learning more,” the professor noted.

He emphasized that institutions should ensure that AI supports learning rather than replaces independent thinking. Students should first develop foundational skills before using AI tools, while assessments should include both non-AI and AI-assisted components.

The professor also stressed the need to teach students to break down problems, evaluate AI outputs and understand their limitations. “Teachers must maintain their role as meaning-makers through posing questions, coaching problem-solving, and building relationships, rather than being replaced by AI-generated content,” the professor said.

Another professor Dinabandhu Sahoo from Delhi University says ethical use of AI should be priority as the technology could never replace teachers.

“It is a good thing that artificial intelligence is part of the curriculum but it is important to use AI responsibly. Also AI cannot replace teachers as the physical interaction in the teaching and the learning process is very important,” said Professor Sahoo.

Meanwhile UNESCO has suggested an AI Competency Framework for Teachers which has outlined 15 competencies that educators need to develop to effectively use AI in teaching while protecting human agency and teachers’ rights.

Developed with principles of protecting teachers’ rights, enhancing human agency, and promoting sustainability, the publication is based on 15 competencies across five dimensions–Human-centred mindset, Ethics of AI, AI foundations and applications, AI pedagogy and AI for professional learning.

These competencies are categorized into three progression levels. These are Acquire, Deepen and Create

“As a global reference, this tool guides the development of national AI competency frameworks, informs teacher training programmes, and helps in designing assessment parameters. It also provides strategies for teachers to build AI knowledge, apply ethical principles, and support their professional growth,” UNESCO said.

Pic Credit: Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo

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