Minister of Education, Science and Technology Honourable Bright Msaka, S.C. has called for the responsible and inclusive adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education, saying the technology should transform education without deepening existing inequalities.
Msaka made the call on Tuesday when he delivered opening remarks at the Global Smart Education Conference at Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China, during a session on “AI in Higher Education: From Disruption to Transformation.” The conference is being held under the broader theme “Reimagining Education in the Age of AI: Equity, Quality and Sustainability.”
The Minister said AI is already reshaping how knowledge is created, accessed and applied, while changing how students learn, academics teach and conduct research, and institutions make decisions.
He said AI presents opportunities for personalised learning, support for students with different learning needs, strengthened research and innovation, improved academic administration and wider access to quality educational resources.
However, Msaka cautioned that its benefits must be balanced with measures to address academic integrity, misinformation, data privacy, intellectual property and algorithmic bias.
“For developing countries in particular, like Malawi, the transformation must be inclusive,” Msaka said, stressing that access to the benefits of AI should not depend on geography, income or access to technology.
He added that transformation requires education systems to rethink what and how they teach, while equipping learners with technical skills, critical thinking, creativity, ethical judgement and the ability to work responsibly with intelligent technologies.
Msaka also emphasised the importance of teachers, lecturers and academics, saying technology should augment rather than replace the human purpose of education and help learners develop judgement, values, curiosity and responsibility.
On data protection, the Minister noted that inadequate tracking of student metrics could expose sensitive information, but said Malawi’s Data Protection Act provides for responsible access to student and staff data while protecting their rights and privacy.
Msaka urged education leaders to shape the future they want, calling for ambition to be matched with responsibility, innovation with inclusion and technological progress with protection of the values at the heart of education.
The conference brings together education ministers and deputy ministers, international and regional education organisations, AI and EdTech companies, academics, teachers, researchers and policymakers.
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