ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN BASIC EDUCATION: BETWEEN THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE EXPANSION OF EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITIES

Abstract

The rapid incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into educational systems has significantly transformed teaching, learning, and school management processes. While these technologies expand opportunities for personalized learning, accessibility, instructional material production, and learning assessment, they also reveal challenges related to digital exclusion, unequal infrastructure, digital literacy, and the ethical implications of algorithmic systems in education. This article critically examines whether Artificial Intelligence contributes to democratizing access to knowledge or reinforces historical inequalities within Basic Education. The study adopts a qualitative bibliographic approach based on national and international scientific literature, policy documents, and theoretical contributions concerning education, digital technologies, and educational equity. The discussion draws upon the works of Freire, Castells, Kenski, Moran, Selwyn, Holmes, Luckin, Feenberg, and UNESCO reports, highlighting both the educational opportunities and the risks associated with AI implementation in schools. The findings indicate that the educational benefits of Artificial Intelligence are not inherent to the technology itself but depend on public policies, adequate infrastructure, continuous teacher education, ethical governance, and AI literacy. The study concludes that Artificial Intelligence has considerable transformative potential; however, its capacity to reduce or intensify educational inequalities depends fundamentally on the social, economic, pedagogical, and institutional conditions under which it is implemented.