By Harshil Gala, President, CBSE & EdTech, Navneet Education Limited.
AI has made it easier than ever for students to access answers, but access to information does not always translate into understanding. A student can ask AI to explain a concept, solve a problem, write an essay or generate an idea in seconds. The harder question is whether the student knows when to trust the answer, when to challenge it and how to think beyond it.
AI is becoming a part of how education is delivered, managed and experienced. Schools are using technology across teaching, assessment, communication and administration, while AI is opening up new possibilities for how information can be created and accessed. The question for education is no longer whether technology has a place in the classroom; it is how it can be introduced in a way that actually improves the learning environment.
That question becomes more important as AI moves closer to the learner. A student can now find an explanation, generate a response or explore a topic in seconds. But having access to an answer does not necessarily mean understanding it. In fact, when information becomes easier to obtain, the ability to question it, interpret it and apply it becomes even more important. This is why the conversation around AI in education cannot stop at teaching students how to use technology. The real task is teaching them to think for themselves while they use it.
This shift is already visible in CBSE’s 2026-27 framework for Classes III-VIII, which places computational thinking, AI readiness, ethics and problem solving at the centre of early AI education. Importantly, CBSE has also made Computational Thinking and Understanding AI its teacher-training theme for the year. Moving past routine computer skills to focus on logic and ethics changes the whole game. It isn’t just about digital adoption anymore; it’s about making sure young learners develop the cognitive strength to use smart technology without relying on it as a crutch.
This makes the role of teachers particularly important. Students cannot be expected to navigate a changing technological environment on their own. Teachers need to be equipped to guide them through it. This requires training that goes beyond the operation of a tool. Educators need to understand how AI should be used in a learning context, how its outputs should be assessed and where human judgement needs to take precedence. For example, an AI-generated explanation may be useful, but a teacher can help a student recognise whether it is accurate, whether it suits the question being asked and whether there is another way of approaching the problem. That process of questioning and reasoning is itself part of learning.
Equipping teachers is only half the battle; ethical awareness must be built into the learning process from day one. Students today are encountering issues around accuracy, bias, privacy, and originality far earlier than previous generations did. Navigating these challenges requires more than knowing how to prompt a tool; it demands early experience in critical judgement and digital ethics.
That same approach applies to institutional adoption. Technology works best when aligned with specific learning goals. When schools identify clear educational needs first, AI can meaningfully reduce repetitive tasks, support personalised learning, and give teachers more time to connect with students. Without a clear purpose, technology simply adds complexity.
Technology can never replace the core of a classroom. Education has always relied on curiosity, debate, interpretation, and creative thinking. These human qualities give technology its true value. The goal isn’t to build classrooms where AI does the heavy lifting but to create spaces where it frees up both students and teachers to think more deeply.
The biggest risk isn’t that AI will be used. It’s that it will be used without learning when not to use it. The goal of AI in education should not be to make students dependent on better answers. It should be to help them become better thinkers and give teachers more space to do what technology cannot – guide, question, challenge and inspire.
The schools that get this right will not necessarily be the ones that use the most AI. They will be the ones that use it to create more room for curiosity, judgement, discussion and human connection while giving teachers the confidence to lead that change.