ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: POTENTIALS AND CHALLENGES OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN BASIC EDUCATION

Abstract

Inclusive education presupposes guaranteeing concrete learning conditions for students with disabilities, developmental disorders, and high abilities in mainstream schooling. In this scenario, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been presented as a resource capable of expanding pedagogical accessibility through assistive technologies such as text-to-speech software, image recognition, automatic captioning, and alternative communication systems. This article aims to analyze the potential and challenges of incorporating AI as a support tool for inclusive education in basic schooling. A qualitative approach of a bibliographic and documentary nature is adopted, grounded in Brazilian legislation on school inclusion, international guidelines, and specialized literature on assistive technology and AI applied to education. The results indicate that AI can significantly expand the autonomy and participation of students targeted by special education in mainstream schools, but that this contribution depends on teacher training for the pedagogical use of these tools, the availability of assistive technology in public schools, and adherence to universal design for learning principles. It is also found that the absence of these safeguards can turn a potentially inclusive technology into yet another factor of exclusion. It is concluded that the effectiveness of AI in inclusive education depends on the articulation between technological innovation and public policy for school inclusion.