ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
This study examines the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming educational access and equity across South Asia. A mixed-method approach was applied, combining structured online surveys, focus group discussions, and follow-up interviews with students, teachers, and administrators. Using stratified purposive sampling, 200 valid responses were collected from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan, ensuring balanced representation. Data were gathered under an ethically approved protocol via institutional mailing lists and learning management systems, and analyzed through descriptive statistics and thematic coding. Findings indicate that infrastructure readiness reliable internet, electricity, and access to devices form the strongest base for equitable AI adoption. AI tools such as adaptive platforms and automated assessments support inclusivity but remain limited without institutional integration. Teacher digital competency acts as both a driver of equity and a mediator that strengthens the effect of infrastructure and AI tools, underscoring educators’ central role in converting access into meaningful learning. Despite AI’s potential to expand opportunities, significant gaps persist between rural and urban regions, socio-economic groups, and institutional capacities. The study concludes that aligning infrastructure, policy support, and teacher training is crucial to transform AI from a tool of privilege into a genuine equalizer in education.
Bhattacharjee, A., Ghosh, A., Juman, M. K. I., & Hossen, M. (2024). Augmented intelligence for knowledge management and green education in the post-COVID-19 era. In Integrating generative AI in education to achieve sustainable development goals (pp. 47–71). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
Asian Development Bank. (2024). Education sector progress in South Asia: Trends and challenges. Asian Development Bank.
Binns, R. (2023). Ethical considerations in artificial intelligence for education. Routledge.
Floridi, L., Cowls, J., Beltrametti, M., Chatila, R., Chazerand, P., Dignum, V., & Vayena, E. (2022). AI4People—An ethical framework for a good AI society: Opportunities, risks, principles, and recommendations. Minds and Machines, 28(4), 689–707.
Haque, M. (2024). Policy gaps and ethical concerns in AI adoption for education in South Asia. Dhaka University Press.
International Telecommunication Union. (2023). Measuring digital development: Facts and figures 2023. ITU Publications.
Jahan, S., & Sultana, N. (2025). Mobile-based AI learning tools in South Asian classrooms: Opportunities for inclusion. Journal of Educational Technology in Asia, 12(1), 45–63.
Khan, A., & Alam, M. (2023). Regulatory frameworks for AI in South Asian education systems. Karachi Policy Review.
Rahman, T., & Dey, P. (2024). Tech entrepreneurship and AI innovation in South Asia’s education sector. South Asian Journal of Innovation and Development, 8(2), 77–94.
UNESCO. (2023). Global education monitoring report 2023: Technology in education. UNESCO Publishing.
World Bank. (2024). Digital infrastructure and connectivity in South Asia. World Bank Group.
Ahmed, S., & Choudhury, R. (2024). Bridging the AI divide: Challenges and opportunities for South Asian education. Dhaka: Horizon Press.
Binns, R. (2023). Responsible AI in educational contexts: Addressing bias and transparency. Routledge.
Floridi, L., & Cowls, J. (2022). The ethics of artificial intelligence: Balancing innovation and inclusion. AI & Society, 37(3), 871–884.
International Telecommunication Union. (2023). Digital readiness in education: South Asia report 2023. Geneva: ITU.
Jahan, S., & Rahman, N. (2025). Localizing AI for inclusive learning: Insights from rural South Asia. Asian Journal of Educational Technology, 15(2), 101–118.
Khan, A., & Islam, F. (2023). Policy and regulation for AI-driven education in developing economies. Karachi: South Asia Policy Review.
Rahman, T. (2024). Entrepreneurship and adaptive learning technologies in South Asia. Journal of Innovation in Education, 6(4), 55–72.
UNESCO. (2023). Technology in education: A global perspective with a focus on South Asia. UNESCO Publishing.
World Bank. (2024). Closing the gap: Digital infrastructure and inclusion in South Asian education. World Bank Group.
AP News. (2024, February 15). AI tools in education: Breaking barriers for diverse learners.
Axios. (2024, April 10). Generative AI tutors raise concerns over critical thinking.
Holstein, K., McLaren, B. M., & Aleven, V. (2017). Intelligent tutoring systems for all? Artificial Intelligence in Education, 10331, 409–420. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61425-0_31
Koumpouros, Y. (2024). Artificial intelligence in education: Benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations. Education and Information Technologies, 29(1), 45–68.
Liu, J., Zhang, Y., & Chen, L. (2025). Multimodal AI learning environments: Integrating AR/VR for inclusive education. Computers & Education, 210, 104769.
Luo, W. (2025). Adaptive learning and personalized education: AI’s role in higher education. Journal of Educational Technology, 45(2), 115–132
Murphy, M. P. (2019). Teacher digital competence: The missing link in AI integration. British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(6), 3115–3130.
Sajja, P. S. (2023). Artificial intelligence as an educational partner: Opportunities and challenges. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 33(4), 857–872.
Time Magazine. (2024, March 8). How AI is transforming education for students with disabilities.
Wang, H. (2024). AI-driven pedagogy: Rethinking instruction for the digital age. Educational Review, 76(1), 1–20.
Xu, B., & Ouyang, F. (2022). Early warning systems in higher education: AI approaches to student retention. Computers in Human Behavior, 132, 107248
Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), 39.
Fujitsu. (2023). Unlocking potential through infrastructure readiness. Fujitsu Research.
Statetech Magazine. (2025). Preparing IT infrastructure for AI: Building flexible and secure systems. StateTech. /
ResearchGate. (2024). Exploring AI readiness framework for public sector organizations.
MDPI. (2024). Factors influencing infrastructure readiness in the construction sector. Sustainability, 16(2), 145–162
MIT Sloan Management Executive Education. (2024). Enterprise AI readiness in the Middle East. MIT Sloan.
Wevolver. (2024). Global state of AI readiness: A data-driven analysis.
Khan, M., Ahmed, S., & Farooq, R. (2021). Barriers to AI adoption in secondary education: Evidence from rural Pakistan. International Journal of Educational Technology, 18(3), 45–59.
Rizvi, A., & Sharma, P. (2020). Adaptive learning systems and student engagement in Indian higher education. Journal of Learning Analytics, 7(2), 112–125.
Rahman, M., & Akter, S. (2022). Digital readiness and access challenges in Bangladeshi schools. South Asian Journal of Education and Development, 4(1), 33–47.
Shrestha, R. (2021). Bridging the digital divide: Teacher training for inclusive technology use in Nepal. Asian Education Review, 29(4), 88–102
Asian Development Bank. (2023). Digital education readiness in South Asia: Regional report. ADB Publications.
Abero-Almenara, J., & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2021). Digital competence of educators: Analysis of frameworks and instruments for assessment. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7507–7527.
Dias-Trindade, S., & Moreira, J. A. (2020). Towards a development model of teachers’ digital competence. Digital Education Review, 37, 151–167.
Ghomi, M., & Redecker, C. (2022). Digital competence of educators (DigCompEdu): Development and evaluation of a self-assessment instrument for teachers’ digital competence. Computers & Education, 179, 104432.
González-Calvo, G., Bores-García, D., Barba-Martín, R. A., & Hortigüela-Alcalá, D. (2022). The (virtual) teaching of physical education in times of pandemic. Sustainability, 14(2), 917.
Monteiro, A., & Leite, C. (2024). Rethinking teachers’ digital competence: Towards inclusive and sustainable practices. Education Sciences, 14(3), 215
Silva, J., Correia, J., Henriques, S., & Pinto, C. (2023). Teachers’ digital competence: Challenges and opportunities for professional development. Education Sciences, 13(1), 36.
Basham, J. D., Smith, S. J., & Satter, A. L. (2022). Universal design for learning: Charting the future of education. Remedial and Special Education, 43(2), 69–78
García, E., & Weiss, E. (2020). COVID-19 and student performance, equity, and U.S. education policy. Economic Policy Institute.
Lim, L., & Tan, M. (2021). Reimagining equity in education: Beyond access to inclusive pedagogy. Asia Pacific Education Review, 22(3), 503–515. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-021-09706-9
Schleicher, A. (2022). Equity and inclusion in education: Principles and practices for resilient systems. OECD Publishing.
UNESCO. (2021). Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. UNESCO Publishing.
Williamson, B., & Eynon, R. (2020). Mapping AI in education. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(3), 211–228.
Jobin, A., Ienca, M., & Vayena, E. (2021). The global landscape of AI ethics guidelines. Nature Machine Intelligence, 3(5), 341–349.
Zhang, Y., Chen, L., & Xu, H. (2022). Digital infrastructure and AI adoption: Evidence from emerging economies. Journal of Information Technology, 37(4), 457–472.
Brynjolfsson, E., Rock, D., & Syverson, C. (2021). The productivity implications of AI. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 2021(1), 1–48. https://www.brookings.edu
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2021). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Etikan, I., & Bala, K. (2020). Sampling and sampling methods. Biometrics & Biostatistics International Journal, 8(1), 5–7.
Hair, J. F., Page, M., & Brunsveld, N. (2020). Essentials of business research methods (4th ed.). Routledge.
Heale, R., & Noble, H. (2020). Validity and reliability in quantitative studies. Evidence-Based Nursing, 23(1), 2–3
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2023). Research methods for business students (9th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
Taherdoost, H. (2022). Data collection methods and tools in research: Advantages and disadvantages. International Journal of Academic Research in Management and Business, 7(1), 10–38.
Murphy, M. P. A. (2019). AI in education: The importance of teacher digital literacy. Educational Technology Research and Development, 67(3), 745–752.
Selwyn, N. (2022). Should robots replace teachers? AI and the future of education. Polity Press.
UNESCO. (2021). AI and education: Guidance for policymakers. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Warschauer, M., & Matuchniak, T. (2010). New technology and digital worlds: Analyzing evidence of equity in access, use, and outcomes. Review of Research in Education, 34(1), 179–225.
Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education – where are the educators? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), 39.
Juman, M. K. I., Chowdhury, M. T. I., Siam, I. I. C., Yeasmin, K. F., Synthia, T. I. C., & Bhuiyan, M. M. I. (2025). Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of Educational Access and Equity: A Critical Study of Technological Inclusion in South Asia’s Learning Ecosystem. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(11), 52-82.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode