Inclusion and equity in artificial intelligence (AI): analysis of educational policy texts in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland

This paper examines AI-in-education policy texts from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, commonly referred to as the DACH region (D for Deutschland, A for Austria, and CH for Switzerland). Drawing on a qualitative content analysis of ten policy texts issued at federal, state, cantonal, and inter-cantonal levels, the study investigates how inclusion and equity are conceptualised, how the texts envisage putting these commitments into practice, and whether they refer to international normative frameworks such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings reveal that the same vocabulary reflects different understandings. The German system-level texts link equity to structural inequalities and propose measures; the Austrian texts frame it through individualised learning; the Swiss texts frame it as universal access. Implementation is envisaged mainly as capacity building, commitments remain largely aspirational, participation of affected groups is nearly absent, and no text refers to the UN-CRPD or SDGs. The study provides a comparative analysis of how inclusion and equity are addressed in AI-in-education policy texts across the DACH region and argues that inclusion currently figures as a universal aspiration rather than a rights-based, operational commitment.