'AI is a tool, not a shortcut in education': Union minister Jitin Prasada

Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada on Feb 16 said artificial intelligence cannot replace teachers and must be used responsibly in education.

Speaking at the AI Impact Summit, he said AI can enhance teaching and learning but should not weaken curiosity or critical thinking.

The minister stressed that the technology must be integrated across the broader education system rather than treated as a standalone subject.

"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," Prasada said, adding that young people should understand computational thinking and its applications.

He cautioned students against treating AI as a shortcut. "It's only a tool to better their lives and do something faster. As far as education goes, we can't have people using AI and somebody doing their homework, especially young people. It's not a shortcut," Prasada explained.

Using AI in place of independent effort would be counterproductive in the long term, he said, adding that teachers should use it as an enabler.

"Some people say an AI tutor is much better. But that doesn't mean you want to replace a teacher. You can't," Prasada noted.

The minister said the government is making non-personal and secure data sets available to researchers and industry to support AI development.

"We are ensuring that these data sets are available, which are non-personal and safe. And that is the real edge that India has. We have the data, which no one else in the world has to that level that India has, and for AI, as everybody knows, the fuel is data,” Prasada said.

Prasada also flagged concerns about digital illiteracy, cybersecurity risks, and the misuse of AI through deepfakes and misinformation.

He warned that false information could influence voters in a country with frequent elections at the central, state, and municipal levels.

"If you don't get into digital literacy, then you have the vulnerability of falling to cyber threats. Cyber security is such a big issue, and AI deep fakes misinformation. And a country like India, which is truly democratic, and elections happening year-round at the central, state, and municipal levels,” he explained.

“But if there's kind of misinformation using AI, it has the power to derail democracies. It has the power to change people's minds in the wrong fashion, and once a decision has been taken, as far as the vote goes, it could be counterproductive because it is based on false information. So we and the government have that challenge as well," he added.

He said the government will frame policies to protect citizens while emphasizing the need for collective responsibility. "But everybody has to contribute," he added.