The AI opportunity: How India can redefine the future of learning

The future of education is not about choosing between humans and machines, but a shared path where essential human qualities of teachers are enhanced by AI

Every year on September 5, India celebrates a quietly transformative relationship, the one between teacher and student. We honour not only Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, whose legacy gave this day meaning, but also the countless educators who shaped our minds and strengthened our spirits.

OpenAI is enabling further research on learning and AI, so the first step is to advance research on what success with AI in learning looks like (AFP)

Almost everyone carries vivid memories of teachers who influenced them — a mathematics teacher who simplified algebra, a physics teacher who made Newton’s laws tangible, or a history teacher who transported students back to Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. Mentors often leave lasting impacts, shaping not just academic performance but personal growth and confidence.

This year, as we celebrate Teachers’ Day, these memories hold new significance. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer theoretical. It now influences how we work, create, and learn. India, home to the world’s largest student population, faces an important question: Can AI enhance rather than diminish the role of teachers? Can machines provide information while teachers nurture imagination, empathy, and critical thinking?

AI is already becoming part of students’ learning journeys by simplifying complex ideas, providing personalized explanations, and helping overcome learning barriers. Used this way, it can help to maximize learning. But its true power emerges when guided by educators who can ensure that AI tools are not used as shortcuts but as companions that deepen understanding and spark curiosity. Education is much more than just information transfer. It requires human judgment, timing, and intuition. Qualities uniquely offered by teachers. The promise of AI is not to replace teachers but to support them by handling repetitive tasks, allowing educators to focus on fostering curiosity, confidence, and growth.

India, perhaps more than any other country, is poised to shape this story. With over 30 crore students and one of the youngest populations in the world, the scale of our challenge is matched only by the scale of our opportunity. The National Education Policy 2020 and the government’s “AI for all” vision have already laid down markers of intent. If we can harness AI responsibly, ensuring it supports teachers, empowers learners, and remains anchored in values of equity and inclusion, India could craft a model for the world — a blueprint that blends wisdom and innovation, tradition and technology, in the service of learning.

Yet seizing this opportunity requires more than optimism. It demands partnerships of an entirely new kind. Governments must create policies that make AI safe, ethical, and accessible to all learners, not just the privileged few. Teachers must be treated as co-creators, not passive end-users, so that tools are shaped by real classroom needs. Universities and research institutions must guide the way with evidence on what enhances cognition, creativity, and critical thinking, and what risks leaving students dependent rather than empowered.

Technology companies, including leading AI companies, must look beyond driving adoption to focus on ensuring the technology truly uplifts the educational mission rather than undermines it. The research landscape is still taking shape on the best ways to apply AI in education. OpenAI is enabling further research on learning and AI, so the first step is to advance research on what success with AI in learning looks like. Next, AI companies must build AI tools that are customised to align with the research and pedagogically sound principles, to help them have a positive impact on learning outcomes. Finally, it is critical that in partnership with the education ecosystem, AI companies foster initiatives to promote AI literacy and educate faculty, educators and students on how to use it. All of this requires AI companies to go beyond simply providing access to tools. This approach ensures that technology is also responsibly deployed, with safeguards that prioritize the student’s well being and a framework that promotes academic integrity.

While the promise is clear, the path ahead is not without obstacles. The challenges are real. Students may be tempted to let AI think for them instead of with them. Parents worry about data privacy, safety, and the possibility of distraction. These anxieties are not trivial. They remind us that technology must be carefully designed, and with safeguards. For learning, AI should act less like an automated answer generator and more like a thoughtful guide, promoting deeper learning and reflection.

If India gets this balance right, the ripple effects will be global. A country of our scale, diversity, and ambition has the chance to show that education need not be a zero-sum contest between tradition and technology. It can be a partnership where the wisdom of teachers meets the precision of machines, where human values anchor technological progress, and where every child, from a metro classroom to a rural village, has the chance to learn in ways that feel both personal and profound.

The future of education is not about choosing between humans and machines. Instead, it is a shared path where the essential human qualities of teachers are enhanced by AI’s capabilities. On this Teachers’ Day, India has the opportunity to lead globally by creating an educational framework that combines human insight with technological innovation, enabling every student to learn effectively and thrive.

Raghav Gupta is head of education (India & South Asia), OpenAI. The views expressed are personal