Dr. Meseret Molla, an Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health, has presented a public lecture under the title “Prospects and Perils of Artificial Intelligence for Ethiopia: Implications for Expanding Access and Quality of Education in AAU.

Dr Meseret said that developing countries face challenges in technological infrastructure and as a result, AI as an educational tool may be affected, adding that AI could worsen economic and social disparities if not inclusively implemented.

Speaking on the challenges and risks of implementing AI in the educational system, the scholar further mentioned that AI presents privacy and bias concerns that need careful weighing, making it imperative that educational inputs are properly pretested and carefully monitored

According to the faculty member, understanding of artificial intelligence is often limited which may lead to potential resistance or misuse.

“AI systems developed elsewhere may not be tailored to the cultural context of Ethiopia, leading to a mismatch in the educational content provided. AI systems are vulnerable to hacking and other cyber threats, which could compromise the integrity of educational content and student data”, he stated.

He urged that prioritizing investments in technological infrastructure that includes reliable internet access, electricity, and hardware may support AI integration in the field of education. Under ideal circumstances, AI can help promote personalized learning, intelligent tutorial systems, automation of assessment procedures, and foster teacher-student interaction, the scholar further said. AI would further lead to improved educational outcomes, efficiency, and unlimited access to high-quality educational resources and spaces. As AI may play the role of equalizer, future Ethiopian students will be assisted by the scalability of AI to reap the benefits of educational experiences provided by global institutions of high acclaim and shine like their counterparts in the most advanced countries.

Dr Meseret also recommended that establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms will help assess the impact of AI on educational quality and access and enable data-driven decisions for future initiatives.