INNOVATION WITH AI IN THE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME CURRICULUM TO CULTIVATE 21ST-CENTURY SKILLS-ANDHRA PRADESH

Nation is progressing towards globalisation with the application of increasingly used, artificial intelligence (AI) in all the educational fields to cultivate 21st-century skills for the vision of Viksit Bharath @2047. Its integration into teacher education programmes and their curricula remains limited in imparting the skills and competencies required to handle digital resources effectively for appropriate learning opportunities. This conceptual study reflects - Why AI is needed in teacher education? what are the benefits with AI for teacher training in cultivating future teachers? what are the AI tools in teacher education to cultivate 21st-century skills? What are the AI strategies, techniques, methods in teacher education to cultivate 21st-century skills in teacher education? How AI supports 21st-century skills with its integration and practical application in teacher training programs? what are the challenges to foster 21st-century skills in integrating AI in teacher education-Andhra Pradesh? How to overcome the challenges of AI in teacher education with the possible solutions-Andhra Pradesh? Teacher education must go beyond basic technology skills, focusing on deep AI literacy, ethical considerations, and practical application to empower future educators to integrate AI for enhanced, personalized, and equitable teaching and learning experiences. Applying AI in teacher education cultivates 21st-century skills by transforming teachers into facilitators using AI for personalized learning, automated tasks (grading, feedback), data analysis, and content creation, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy in both educators and students, while addressing ethical challenges like bias and privacy through focused training and policy. This prepares future teachers to integrate tools like AI tutors, chatbots, and analytics to enhance engagement, support diverse needs, and develop students' collaboration, problem-solving, and ethical technology use. Integrating AI in teacher education curriculum contributes practical application with the advanced digital technology for the teacher education community to foster 21st-century skills and enhance global digital technology competencies.