The use of AI in Support of Learning Equity: Evidence from Latin America

• In Event: AI, Learning and Equity

Proposal

Universal Declaration for Human Rights (UDHR:AArticle 26) sees education as a fundamental right for all that should be directed to support the maintenance of peace and human development (United Nations, 1948). Nearly 75 years after its adoption by the UN General Assembly, education systems struggle to fulfill the UDHR directive for education. Despite growing efforts for equity-based practices, divisions in learning outcomes persist and their associations with poverty and other sociocultural factors remain strong (Duarte et al., 2017). Following on this year’s conference theme (on education and peace), we are prompted to think critically about how to approach educational research to improve peace and capability in a world where human potential for learning continues to be impacted by conditions outside of the classroom. Increasingly, ministries are seeking to leverage rapid advances in technology – and AI specifically – as a solution for a more equitable and peaceful learning future.

This paper provides findings from a 2025 regional study on the state of learning equity in Latin America conducted in partnership with UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning – Buenos Aires. A central focus of the discussion will include case evidence from Latin America where AI or AI-adjacent approaches have been deployed to support learning equity among marginalized groups. Actionable insights are informed by the regional dataset and in alignment with the UDHR’s directives for education are offered with broader implications for improving equity-based research design for AI and education globally.

Author

• Nathan M. Castillo, University of Illinois