Africa: Balancing AI and Human Agency in Education

As we mark the International Day of Education 2025, the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and human learning presents an unparalleled opportunity and a profound challenge. This year’s theme, “AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation,” invites us to critically assess how this transformative technology reshapes education while safeguarding the core values of human development and agency.

Over the past decade, we have witnessed significant changes in the education sector. Classrooms have been dramatically transformed with the adoption of AI tools for everyday learning, ranging from personalized learning algorithms to automated grading systems. These tools have brought unprecedented efficiency and scalability to education, allowing teachers to focus more on individual student needs and creative teaching.

However, this technological revolution has raised important questions about the role of human agency in education. As we automate more aspects of learning and teaching, how do we ensure that students and educators maintain control over the educational process? First, we should understand that AI should improve, not replace, human capabilities in education. The key to preserving human agency in education lies in striking the right balance between technological efficiency and human involvement. While AI can excel at tasks like providing instant feedback on multiple-choice assessments or generating practice problems, it cannot replace the nuanced understanding of human teachers who recognize the emotional and social aspects of learning.

In Africa, where education systems face unique structural and resource constraints, AI offers the potential to leapfrog traditional barriers. Personalized learning algorithms can address disparities in access to quality education, and automated systems can bridge gaps in teacher-to-student ratios. Yet, as we embrace these innovations, we must ask ourselves: are we creating systems that empower learners and educators, or are we unknowingly relinquishing control to technologies that prioritize efficiency over human connection?

Nonetheless, AI’s impact cannot be overstated, and we have done well as a continent in embracing it. However, we must improve and strengthen our data systems to fully maximize their potential in our education sector. These systems play an integral role in the AI ecosystem, providing the infrastructure and processes necessary for managing, storing, and processing the data that powers AI applications.

As we grow, the balance between technological advancement and human agency is particularly important for Africa. While AI can support the rapid scaling of educational solutions, the essence of education—critical thinking, empathy, and emotional intelligence—remains deeply human in their nature. It is imperative to build educational systems where technology complements rather than overrides the social and cultural dimensions of learning. This is especially relevant as the continent invests in strengthening education data systems to power AI-driven decision-making. Projects such as the Knowledge Innovation Exchange Strengthening and Enhancing Education Data Systems (KIX-SEEDS) led by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)  implemented in Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Senegal highlights the strategic importance of efficient data infrastructure leveraging on technological developments. Improving how education data is collected, managed, and analyzed ensures that AI applications serve context-specific needs while enhancing transparency and accountability.

Recently, concerns have been raised about how AI slowly takes away students’ critical thinking ability, sparking calls to shun technology, especially in the classroom. Valid as these concerns may be, AI will not soon leave our classrooms. Therefore, the focus must shift to helping students understand how to evaluate AI-generated content and develop independent thinking skills. This includes teaching them when to use AI tools responsibly and when to rely on their cognitive abilities. Another important aspect of education that AI cannot fully address is nurturing emotional intelligence, empathy, and social skills among learners—critical aspects of education that only human teachers can provide. Ultimately, students should be taught to use AI as an enhancer for whatever aspect of their education they seek to improve, empowering them to be active participants rather than passive consumers of technology.

On the other hand, we must also invest in empowering educators to integrate AI tools into their teaching methods effectively and responsibly. This means ongoing training to understand AI capabilities, limitations, and biases, enabling them to make informed decisions about when and how to use these tools. In the long term, it will also be helpful for educational institutions to develop curricula incorporating AI while focusing on human-centric skills like critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence.

As AI increasingly permeates classrooms, the debate around its implications for critical thinking intensifies. Concerns about AI undermining students’ ability to think independently are valid, but the answer does not lie in rejecting technology. Instead, the focus must shift to equipping learners with the cognitive tools to evaluate AI-generated content critically and responsibly use them to their benefit. In doing so, we cultivate a generation that is not only technologically literate but also capable of harnessing AI as a tool for innovation and problem-solving. Equally important is the role of educators. Empowering teachers through ongoing training in AI integration is essential to maintaining their leadership in the learning process.

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As we move into 2025 and beyond, the relationship between AI and education will continue to evolve. The key is not to fight against automation but to skillfully integrate it while safeguarding the irreplaceable human dimensions of education. Success in this endeavor requires ongoing dialogue between educators, students, parents, and technology developers. With the penetration of AI into our everyday lives, the future of education lies in creating a symbiotic relationship where technology enhances rather than diminishes human capabilities. By focusing on critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence while leveraging AI’s capabilities for personalization and efficiency, we can create an educational system that prepares students for a future where human agency and technological advancement coexist harmoniously.

Ultimately, the African continent has an unprecedented opportunity to lead in reimagining education systems where AI and human agency coexist harmoniously. By investing in both technological infrastructure and human-centered pedagogies, we can prepare a generation of learners equipped to navigate a future defined by collaboration between human creativity and machine intelligence. In this endeavor, Africa’s diversity and resilience could be a powerful blueprint for the world.

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