What can be termed a shot in the arm for a sea change in school education across the country is that Budget 2024 has provided for the opening of AI Centres of Excellence. The funding behind the idea is how best Artificial Intelligence can intervene and change the teaching-learning methodologies to bring about a qualitative improvement in the school education system.

The announcement in this regard by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the budget reflects the commitment attached by the government for tapping the potential of AI for betterment of education sector. In fact, setting up of such centres in top educational institutions is by design aimed at encouraging academia-industry collaboration to push the research and development in AI applications working on education-related applications.

Experts expect AI Centres of Excellence to completely transform the education system in India. This would have influential centres acting as hotbeds for cutting-edge research, innovation, and development of Artificial Intelligence-driven solutions in the form of solutions specifically for students and educators.

The potentials of AI in education are enormous. These are facilitated by personalized learning experiences, adaptive assessment tools, AI-powered tutoring, and data-driven decision-making processes. By adopting AI technologies, educators can work out an optimum teaching methodology that identifies individual pupil learning needs and provides focused intervention aimed at improving student outcomes.

AI can also help in making some of the administrative tasks automatic, leave more time for teachers to deal with their students in a meaningful way. It will also be possible that by applying virtual-reality, augmented reality environments, more immersive and interactive learning environments will be made which will make learning more engaging and impactful.

The AI Centres of Excellence being established would not only take care of the advancement in AI research but also collaboration among educational institutions, industry experts, and policyframer[s]. AI technologies will therefore develop responsibly to be able to address quite a good number of the issues related to ethics, bias, and privacy.

The full potential of AI in Education would require an investment in digital infrastructure, access to devices, and high speed internet connectivity within schools and homes where children go for study purposes, and enhanced digital literacy among students and teachers. Indeed, the government’s focus on making an AI-friendly education system is merely a subset of another broader vision: to make a knowledge-based economy and develop workforce readiness for the challenges of tomorrow.

While the institution of Centers of Excellence in AI is a step forward, it must ensure that its benefits are not merely an urban phenomenon; rather, every section in society should get numerous opportunities to exploit its accruable benefits from this technology. Efforts should go into bridging the digital divide and bringing inclusivity at the level of education, especially in rural and underserved areas.

In other words, the potentials that can be accruable from Budget 2024 investment in AI Centres of Excellence to changing the Indian education system remain very great. Today, AI has the potential to be harnessed by educators in designing new learning experiences in a personalized way and equipping young learners with skills for a future characterized by fast digital change. It, therefore, reaffirms the commitment of the government toward harnessing technology for the betterment of education and in the preparation of its youth for an AI- and innovation-driven existence.