Over the past few decades, the use of digital technologies both inside and outside the classroom has steadily increased. This trend became even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools were closed and shifted to digital distance learning, emphasising the need for adequate technological resources, and clear strategies for digital teaching and learning. The pandemic also highlighted the extent of digital inequities and brought to light exclusionary practices that hindered success for certain students, particularly those facing greater disadvantage. As education systems continue to integrate digital tools into instruction, ensuring these technologies are used to foster equity and inclusion is crucial for all students to thrive.
More recently, AI has sparked transformative possibilities in many facets of human life in the current era of rapid technological advancement. At the same time critiques also emerge, citing algorithmic biases, privacy concerns, accountability issues, implications for equity and inclusion, and others. As a general‑purpose technology, AI is expected to transform and is already changing a wide range of areas, from advertising, agriculture and criminal justice, through education, finance, health, marketing, science and security to transport. Benefits of AI use in these areas include improving the efficiency of decision making, saving costs and enabling better resource allocation. AI might also have profound impacts on education systems, including on equity and inclusion.
The Education for Inclusive Societies project’s 12th Policy Forum, Shaping Inclusive Societies through Inclusive Digital and AI Education, discussed this topic over seven sessions with a range of policy experts and researchers. It gathered around 80 participants from 22 OECD and four non‑OECD countries, the European Union, the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD, OECD analysts and other stakeholders.