During UNESCO Digital Learning Week 2025, UNESCO released “AI and education: protecting the rights of learners,” a report that analyses how AI and digital technologies impact access, equity, quality and governance in education. The report examines implications for human rights including privacy, cultural rights, the right to information, and protection from violence. It identifies legal concerns arising from the digitalization of education and accelerated AI use, including issues of access, bias and ethics, protection, cultural and linguistic diversity, vulnerability, and accountability. The report calls for countries to integrate human rights protections into digital learning environments, focusing on coordination, content, capacity, connectivity, and cost.
Who it affects: Students and learners using AI-enabled education systems; education institutions deploying AI; governments responsible for education policy and human rights; parents and guardians.
What is notably missing: The report is an analytical framework and policy recommendation, not binding law. It does not establish enforcement mechanisms, mandatory compliance timelines, or funding provisions. There is no requirement that countries adopt these protections into legislation, no specified minimum standards with verification, and no international accountability for implementation. The recommendations are advisory, not regulatory.