Artificial intelligence should enhance rather than replace traditional teaching methods, according to a senior Indian government official who recently addressed concerns about technology’s expanding role in classrooms.
Speaking at the AI Impact Summit on Monday, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology acknowledged that AI has significant potential to enhance teaching and learning experiences. However, he warned against viewing it as a replacement that could diminish curiosity and critical thinking among students.
He explained that AI should be seen as a helpful tool, not a substitute for human guidance. According to him, “It’s only a tool to better their lives and do something faster.” However, he also warned that students, especially young learners, must not depend on AI to complete their schoolwork. “We can’t have people using AI and somebody doing their homework, especially young people. It’s not a shortcut,” he said, adding that using AI in this way would harm curiosity, logical thinking and the learning process.
The minister stressed that AI education should go beyond simply adding it as a subject in schools. He said, “We have to ensure that this is not merely a subject in a school curriculum. This is much more. We have to equip our young so that they contribute. It is about capacity building.” He encouraged young people to understand computational thinking and learn how to apply it in real-life situations.
Talking about India’s preparation for AI growth, he said the government is making safe, non-personal data available for researchers and industries. Highlighting India’s strength, he stated, “We are ensuring that these data sets are available, which are non-personal, which are safe.” He added that data is key for AI development and said, “For AI, as everybody knows, the fuel is data.”
He also highlighted the risks linked to AI misuse. Referring to deepfakes and misinformation, he said such tools can mislead people and influence democratic processes. He warned that AI-generated misinformation “has the power to derail democracies” and can affect voting decisions if people rely on false information.
Prasada assured that government is working on policies to protect citizens and manage these challenges. At the same time, he emphasised that responsibility does not lie with the government alone. Society as a whole must take part in ensuring that AI is used carefully and ethically.
