TOWARDS RESPONSIBLE AI IN EDUCATION: IMPACTS, PERCEPTIONS, AND GOVERNANCE NEEDS

Abstract

Globally, artificial intelligence (AI) is drastically changing educational systems by presenting fresh chances for individualized instruction, effective management, and creative teaching methods. But its acceptance also calls into question governance, ethics, and equity. With an emphasis on its sustainable and responsible use, this study investigates the effects, perceptions, and governance requirements of AI in education. To capture a comprehensive understanding, a mixed-methods design was used. Surveys of 400 participants—teachers, students, and school administrators from both urban and rural areas were used to gather quantitative data. While students showed varying degrees of understanding and acceptance, teachers and administrators showed moderate to high levels of awareness, according to the analysis. Positive attitudes toward the adoption of AI were significantly influenced by prior exposure to digital tools and training, according to regression and ANCOVA results. To supplement these findings, semi-structured interviews were used to gather qualitative data. These interviews revealed five main themes: a lack of knowledge about artificial intelligence, perceived advantages for management and learning, ethical concerns about data privacy, barriers to infrastructure and training, and the need for stricter regulations. All of the results point to the need for strong ethical frameworks, focused capacity-building, and open governance structures to guide the integration of AI in education, even though it has the potential to improve accessibility, engagement, and efficiency. The report suggests establishing extensive awareness campaigns, creating precise guidelines for the moral application of AI, and encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation to strike a balance between creativity and accountability. Education systems can guarantee that AI makes a significant contribution to high-quality, inclusive, and future-ready learning by tackling these problems.