CAN AI HELP EVERY LEARNER THRIVE?
Drawing on research from the Erasmus+ AIRED project, Aleksandra Szproch from ICEP Europe, The Institute of Child Education and Psychology, suggests AI can be used effectively to make classrooms more inclusive if used thoughtfully.
Inclusion before innovation
Every teacher knows that no two learners are the same. Within a single classroom, there may be students with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, English as an additional language, interrupted schooling, anxiety, exceptional abilities or simply very different ways of learning. Effective teachers have always differentiated their teaching, but time is often the biggest barrier. As artificial intelligence rapidly becomes part of education, a fundamental question is emerging:
Can AI help us create classrooms where every learner can participate and succeed?
At ICEP Europe, our work on the Erasmus+ funded AIRED (Artificial Intelligence Reshapes Education) project has shown that this question is far more complex than simply introducing new technology into schools. AI does not automatically make education more inclusive. In fact, if implemented poorly, it can reinforce existing inequalities by assuming that all learners have the same needs, the same digital skills, or equal access to technology. However, when educators place inclusion and not technology at the centre of their planning, AI has the potential to remove barriers to learning that have existed for decades.
Removing barriers, not replacing teachers
Inclusion is often associated solely with special educational needs, but inclusive classrooms benefit everyone. A learner who struggles with reading, a newly arrived student learning English, a pupil with attention difficulties, or a highly able student needing greater challenge all benefit when learning can be adapted to their needs. The goal is not to create different classrooms for different learners but to design learning that offers multiple ways to access, engage with and demonstrate understanding.
This is where AI begins to offer practical value. Rather than replacing teachers, it can dramatically reduce the time needed to adapt learning materials. A teacher can generate simplified versions of a text, create scaffolded comprehension questions, translate instructions into another language, produce visual explanations, or develop extension activities for advanced learners within minutes. AI can also produce visual explanations and extension activities for learners who need greater challenge.
These possibilities are already beginning to appear in classrooms. Findings from the AIRED project suggest that many teachers are using AI precisely in these ways. Across all three participating countries, one of the most common uses of AI reported by teachers was creating additional learning materials for pupils needing further practice (France 51%, Ireland 51%, Spain 44%), suggesting that educators are already using AI to support differentiated learning. Mainstream AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, alongside education-focused platforms can support teachers in adapting texts, generating differentiated activities, and creating multiple representations of the same learning goal. The value lies not in the tool itself, but in the teacher’s ability to make informed decisions about how and when it should be used. Tasks that previously required hours can now be completed quickly, allowing teachers to spend more time working directly with students.
AI is also expanding the possibilities of assistive technology. Across Europe, we are seeing increasing use of AI-powered captioning, text-to-speech, speech recognition, translation, reading support and communication tools that enable learners to participate more independently. Our review of practice across Ireland, Spain and France found a growing number of examples of AI supporting learners with dyslexia, visual impairments, communication difficulties and multilingual needs. These developments suggest that AI’s greatest contribution may not be generating lesson plans but helping remove barriers that prevent learners from fully participating in those lessons.
The human factor
Inclusion is never guaranteed simply because AI is available. Throughout our research, we repeatedly encountered concerns about algorithmic bias, accessibility, privacy and unequal access to technology. We also found an important reminder (and warning) from educators themselves:
AI should never be viewed as something that ‘fixes’ learners. Instead, it should help remove barriers while recognising diversity as a strength rather than a ‘problem’ to be solved.
Across all aspects of the research, one message emerged consistently. The success of AI depends far less on the technology than on the judgement of educators using it. Teachers understand their learners in ways that no algorithm can. They know when a learner needs encouragement rather than another worksheet, when curiosity should replace assessment, and when flexibility matters more than efficiency. AI can support these decisions, but it cannot make them.
Looking ahead
This philosophy sits at the heart of our work. Working with partners across Europe, we are developing training, practical resources and ethical guidance to help educators integrate AI confidently while maintaining human creativity, professional judgement and inclusive values. This work responds to a clear need identified through the AIRED project. Across France, Ireland and Spain, most educators reported that they had largely taught themselves how to use AI rather than receiving formal training from their institutions (68.5%, 51.3% and 61.2%, respectively). Supporting teachers to develop the confidence and critical judgement needed to use AI effectively is therefore just as important as the technology itself. Rather than asking educators to become AI experts, our aim is to help them become confident, critical and ethical users of these rapidly evolving tools.
Aleksandra Szproch is the Senior Research officer at ICEP Europe, The Institute of Child Education and Psychology,
To learn more about the AIRED project, please visit: https://www.air-education.eu/
To explore ICEP Europe’s other work, please visit: https://icepe.eu/
Feature and support images by Getty Images For Unsplash+
