Artificial Intelligence in Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Changing Role of Teachers in the Context of NEP 2020

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming teaching, learning, assessment, educational administration, and teacher professional development. The emergence of generative AI has created new opportunities for personalized learning, instructional planning, feedback, accessibility, and academic support, while simultaneously raising concerns regarding academic integrity, misinformation, privacy, algorithmic bias, digital inequality, and excessive dependence on technology. In India, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes the meaningful integration of technology into education while promoting equity, quality, creativity, critical thinking, flexibility, and holistic development. The present conceptual paper examines the opportunities and challenges associated with AI in education and analyses the changing role of teachers in an AI-enabled educational environment. A qualitative conceptual review of recent scholarly literature, policy documents, and international educational frameworks was undertaken. The literature indicates that AI can strengthen educational processes when it is integrated with sound pedagogical practices and appropriate human oversight. However, technological access alone cannot ensure educational improvement. Teachers require technological, pedagogical, ethical, critical-evaluation, and socio-emotional competencies to use AI responsibly. The paper proposes a human-centred approach in which AI functions as a support mechanism rather than a replacement for teachers. The study concludes that effective AI integration requires continuous teacher development, ethical safeguards, appropriate institutional policies, equitable access, and assessment reform. The findings have implications for teacher education institutions, educational administrators, policymakers, and researchers working toward technology-enabled education under NEP 2020.