Ahead of South Africa’s National Women’s Day, Ethics and Governance in AI Take Centre Stage at the AITHOS Forum on the Future of Education in Africa
The participants examined the safeguards, accountability measures and governance frameworks needed to ensure responsible AI adoption within educational settings
Leading women experts in artificial intelligence (AI), ethics, governance, research and innovation led a conversation at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) on an inclusive, and ethical use of artificial intelligence during an exclusive roundtable exploring how AI is reshaping education across Africa.
The event brought together women and men educators, researchers, industry leaders and technology practitioners to examine the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities that accompany the growing adoption of AI in learning environments. Hosted by Aashna Jain, Founder and CEO of AITHOS, in collaboration with the Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute, the discussion centred on the theme “AI in Education: Shaping the Future of Learning in Africa.” The inaugural roundtable created a platform for meaningful dialogue between experts from academia, industry and research, with a focus on ensuring that technological innovation supports more inclusive, ethical and impactful educational outcomes.
Held ahead of South Africa’s National Women’s Day celebrations, the event also highlighted the significant role women are playing in shaping the future of artificial intelligence. The discussion underscored the importance of diverse leadership and inclusive participation in designing, governing, and deploying AI technologies that will influence future generations of learners.
Over the course of the session, participants explored four critical themes. Discussions around AI in Classrooms and Future Skills examined how AI is changing teaching and learning practices and the competencies students will require to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Conversations on Access vs Inequality focused on the potential for AI to expand educational opportunities while acknowledging the risk of deepening existing inequalities if access gaps are not addressed.
The discussion on Student Readiness and Employability considered whether current education systems are adequately preparing learners for AI-driven workplaces and how institutions can equip students with both technical and human-centred skills. Under Ethics and Governance, participants examined the safeguards, accountability measures
and governance frameworks needed to ensure responsible AI adoption within educational settings.
Speaker Perspectives
Aashna Jain, Founder & CEO, AITHOS
“Young people will live with the consequences of the decisions being made about AI today, which is why they must be part of the conversation. The future of education is not simply about adopting new technologies, but about equipping learners with the skills, critical thinking and ethical awareness needed to thrive in an AI-driven world.”
Kume Luvhani, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Vaxowave
“AI will not equalize African education by default. It will amplify the system it enters. Our task at large is to design it so that it scales opportunity rather than inequality. We must stop treating access as a licence. Meaningful access includes infrastructure, affordability, capability, accessibility, safety and ongoing support. Without those layers, AI risks making the education gap more intelligent. The curriculum has never been our bottleneck. Delivery is. We write world-class policy and then discover there’s no lab, no bandwidth, and no trained teacher.”
Lourita Meredith, Regional Sales Director, Africa, DemandAI
“AI has the potential to make education more personalized, accessible, and relevant, but technology alone is not the solution. Success will depend on how we equip educators, empower students with the right skills, and implement AI responsibly. If we get that balance right, AI can become a powerful enabler of opportunity and innovation across Africa.”
As AI continues to transform education and the future of work, participants agreed that collaboration between educators, policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders will be critical to ensuring that AI contributes positively to learning outcomes and future workforce readiness across Africa. The roundtable formed part of an ongoing commitment by AITHOS and its partners to foster dialogue on responsible AI and to support the development of solutions that advance both innovation and societal impact.
