At the launch of the Global AI for Learning Alliance, held on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Rwanda’s Minister Paula Ingabire delivered a strong call for developing nations to take a leading role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence in education, according to the statement of the Ministry of ICT and Innovation.
Addressing policymakers, educators, and technology leaders, the Minister emphasized that countries in the Global South should not merely adopt AI systems designed elsewhere. Instead, she argued, they must actively participate in defining how emerging technologies are developed and applied to meet their unique learning and development needs.
The minister stressed that AI must serve as a tool for empowerment rather than dependency. She warned that importing solutions without local adaptation risks widening existing inequalities in education, particularly in regions where infrastructure, culture, and linguistic diversity differ significantly from the environments where many AI tools are created.
A key theme of Paula’s remarks was language inclusion. She underscored that AI-driven education must support local and indigenous languages to ensure that learners are not excluded from digital transformation. Without deliberate efforts to expand linguistic diversity in AI models, she noted, millions of students could remain marginalized in the global knowledge economy.
Beyond inclusion, Paula highlighted the importance of building public trust through strong governance frameworks. She called for transparent policies, ethical safeguards, and accountability mechanisms that reassure citizens about how AI is deployed in classrooms and learning platforms. According to her, trust will be essential for sustainable adoption and meaningful impact.
The minister also advocated for deeper cross-country collaboration among nations in the Global South. She encouraged governments to share best practices, pool resources, and align AI innovation with national education goals and broader development priorities. Such partnerships, she said, can help ensure that AI becomes a catalyst for equitable progress rather than a driver of digital divides.
The Global AI for Learning Alliance aims to foster precisely this kind of cooperation, bringing together governments, international organizations, and technology stakeholders to explore how artificial intelligence can enhance learning outcomes while respecting local contexts.
Paula’s message resonated with the broader tone of the summit, which focused on balancing rapid technological advancement with social responsibility. Her remarks highlighted a growing consensus that the future of AI in education must be shaped by diverse voices, especially those from regions most affected by global learning disparities.
As AI continues to reshape classrooms worldwide, the call from New Delhi signals a shift toward more inclusive leadership. For many observers, the launch of the alliance marks an important step in ensuring that the Global South is not only a beneficiary of AI innovation but also a decisive architect of its direction.
