AI for Learning: Insights from an International Pilot Across Uganda, Ethiopia, and India

As artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday life, an important question is emerging: Can AI do more than provide information? Can it help young people learn, build skills, and create new opportunities?

The AI for Learning project is exploring these questions with young people in Uganda, Ethiopia, and India. The initiative focuses on areas such as 

  • entrepreneurship, 
  • financial literacy, and 
  • climate-smart agriculture,

testing how AI can support learning across different languages, cultures, and digital environments. 

The project is based on a simple idea: information alone does not create change. Real learning happens when people apply new knowledge, build confidence, and use what they learn to make better decisions in their daily lives. 

Rather than promoting technology for its own sake, the project seeks to understand where AI creates real value, where human support remains essential, and how the two can work together to strengthen learning outcomes.

By testing AI in different contexts and listening to the experiences of young learners, the project aims to generate practical insights about the future of AI-enabled learning. Because the success of AI will not be measured by how much information it can deliver, but by whether it helps people gain skills, confidence, and opportunities for the future.

While the AI for Learning project is still ongoing, several important insights are already emerging. First, access to information alone does not guarantee learning. Young people are most likely to benefit when AI tools are relevant to their context, delivered in accessible formats, and connected to practical opportunities for application. Second, digital solutions are most effective when complemented by human support and opportunities for reflection and interaction. Finally, inclusion must remain central to the design of AI-enabled learning, particularly in contexts where digital literacy, language, and connectivity vary significantly. 

As the pilot continues, the project will generate further evidence on how AI can support meaningful learning and skills development. The goal is not simply to understand what AI can do, but to understand what helps young people turn knowledge into action and opportunity.

 

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Ariana Garcia

Cofunder and CEO of YYOUTH