Education Key to Responsible AI Use: Estonia President at India AI Impact Summit 2026

President Karis noted that Estonia is implementing a dedicated national policy to integrate AI into schools at scale.

Alar Karis with Narendra Modi / Handout

Education is central to ensuring that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used responsibly and ethically, said Alar Karis, President of the Republic of Estonia, while addressing the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

Speaking during a session on “AI and Education: From Innovation to Impact”, President Karis emphasized that AI has already entered classrooms, and the real challenge is not whether to use AI, but how to use it wisely and responsibly. He underlined that in the AI era, the intelligence of people matters more than the intelligence of machines.

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The session, hosted in collaboration with the Estonian Embassy, highlighted the need for system-wide AI adoption in public education rather than limited pilot projects. Experts agreed that technology alone cannot transform education without strong investments in teachers, pedagogy, governance, and ethical frameworks.

President Karis noted that Estonia is implementing a dedicated national policy to integrate AI into schools at scale. He stressed that data literacy and technology literacy form the foundation of modern democracy and that AI education must be transparent and ethical to build public trust.

Mary N. Kerema, Secretary ICT, E-Government and Digital Economy, Republic of Kenya, said teacher empowerment is critical for ethical AI adoption. She pointed out that even in low-connectivity environments, teachers remain the most stable and essential infrastructure in classrooms.

Dr. Pia Rebello Britto, Global Director of Education at UNICEF, cautioned that innovation must strengthen public education systems rather than bypass them. She highlighted that nearly 70 percent of 10-year-olds in lower- and middle-income countries struggle with basic reading skills, warning that unchecked AI expansion could widen educational inequality if not implemented responsibly.

Professor Petri Myllymäki from the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence addressed concerns around AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, stating that while AI can assist students, the primary goal of education remains learning—not merely producing outputs.

Ivo Visak, CEO of AI LEAP (Estonia), stressed that AI in education is a national priority requiring trust, strong pedagogical planning, and collaboration between government and private sector stakeholders.

The summit positioned 2026 as a year of implementation, calling for coordinated national strategies, teacher-focused capacity building, interoperable digital infrastructure, and robust governance mechanisms to ensure AI delivers equitable learning outcomes for all.

According to the Press Information Bureau, the discussions reflected a global consensus: AI must serve education systems in a transparent, inclusive, and ethical manner to truly benefit society.

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