AI Is Making Education More Human, Not Less
Artificial intelligence is transforming classrooms, but its greatest impact may not be smarter content or faster learning. According to Akshay Saxena, co-founder and CEO of Avanti Fellows, AI’s real value in education lies in strengthening human connection between teachers and students.
Avanti Fellows supports high-achieving students from low-income and rural communities in India, preparing them for some of the country’s most competitive science, engineering, and medical entrance exams. Drawing from more than a decade of experience, Saxena says academic success depends less on technology and more on whether students feel safe, supported, and part of a learning community.
Early on, Avanti discovered that care-based learning worked better than content-heavy instruction. With limited funding at the start, the organization focused on mentorship, shared learning spaces, and emotional support. That approach proved so effective that it remains central to Avanti’s model today, even as the programme has expanded.
The results have been striking. Students from families earning about $2,000 a year now graduate into jobs paying several times that amount, lifting entire households out of intergenerational poverty. Female students, in particular, have gone on to delay early marriage, pursue careers, and become role models in their communities.
AI now plays a supporting role in this success. By reducing administrative workload and helping teachers analyze student needs, AI gives educators more time to mentor, motivate, and care for learners. Saxena believes AI can also help teachers develop counselling and emotional-support skills that are increasingly important in high-pressure academic environments.
However, he cautions that access to AI must be equitable. Without inclusion, the technology could widen existing education gaps rather than close them. Saxena also notes that as AI reshapes the job market, education systems must adapt to help students reskill and remain competitive.
In his view, the future of education is not about replacing teachers with machines — it is about using AI to help teachers be more human.
