The Double-Edged Sword of Artificial Intelligence in the Global Education System: Bridging or Deepening the Equity Gap?

Abstract The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the education system currently presents a complex dilemma: on one hand, it offers powerful tools and remarkable opportunities to improve learning, expand access, personalize education for efficiency. On the other hand, it also raises concerns about privacy and bias access, thus causing the risk of deepening educational inequalities. This article critically examines the dual role AI plays in education by addressing the core question to know whether AI is helping to bridge or deepen the global educational justice gap. The main objective is to explore how AI innovations support inclusive learning while highlighting structural, ethical and socio-technical challenges that aggravate exclusion. Taking a conceptual and non-empirical position, the article is founded on theories such as digital divide theory, educational equity theory, and critical data studies to investigate how AI shapes contemporary learning contexts. The article argues that, although AI has the capacity to bring significant change to education, its impact on equity at large depends on the sociopolitical environments where it is implemented. To ensure that AI advances rather than hinders educational fairness, it is essential to give priority to ethical and inclusive design, alongside collaborative policy development. In conclusion, the article advocates for approaches that emphasize human-AI collaboration, contextual sensitivity and critical awareness in order to harness AI’s potential for fair and sustainable transformation in education.