For the past few years, the buzz around artificial intelligence has been impossible to ignore. However, one concern that continually troubles me is the lack of preparedness—both in expertise and acceptance—when it comes to integrating AI into education in India. My interactions with numerous schools and colleges reveal an alarming lack of awareness and negligible AI usage in teaching methodologies.
From my observations of faculty recruitment processes in Indian universities, I have yet to see job postings that emphasize proficiency in generative AI for subject-specific research or classroom instruction. While research-oriented institutions like IISc may be exceptions, such cases are rare.
Every academic field stands to benefit from AI-powered learning tools. Yet, hiring committees remain largely uninformed on this front. In mathematics, for instance, AI-driven neural networks are revolutionizing mathematical modeling, especially in solving intricate differential equations. Traditional numerical methods have been resource-intensive, but AI is reshaping this landscape. Despite this, I have yet to meet a mathematics professor actively incorporating AI into their teaching.
This lack of AI literacy extends to schools as well. Recently, I met with the staff of a reputed high school and was disappointed to find that the principal had little understanding of AI, mistakenly equating it to using a laptop for word processing.
Innovators like Sal Khan are showing the way forward with AI-powered tools like Khanmigo, which make learning interactive and personalized. It’s time our education system embraces AI to enhance teaching and learning.
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