Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly common in classrooms worldwide. An OECD survey shows that about one in three teachers now use AI for tasks like summarising material or generating lesson plans. At the same time, students are turning to AI as a learning companion, using it to retrieve information, brainstorm ideas, and understand complex concepts.
However, beneath this momentum lies an emerging pattern that surfaced during a recent focus group discussion (FGD) with selected local training providers of AVPN’s AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, who deliver AI skilling for teachers and education-sector workers in six markets—Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The discussions reveal a clear “trust paradox”: teachers often approach AI cautiously, while students tend to trust it too quickly. This contrast highlights the need to strengthen AI fundamentals and responsible-use practices for both groups, with evergreen AI curricula as one tangible way to support this foundation.
AVPN’s AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific is an initiative supported by Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the FGD is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen AI literacy across the region, while also fostering peer learning, community building and networking opportunities among the Fund’s grantees.
Classrooms are Navigating AI Adoption on Uneven Ground
Across the region, AI adoption in classrooms is progressing at uneven speeds. UNESCO notes that while some countries in Asia Pacific have already introduced “AI in Education” policies, others are still struggling to meet basic educational needs. This gap affects the level of support teachers receive on the ground, influencing how confidently they can integrate AI into their practice.
During the FGD, local training providers of the AI Opportunity Fund shared that even though their countries have yet to introduce formal AI regulations in education, many teachers are motivated to learn about AI—what it is, how it works, its benefits and risks, and how it might eventually shape their work and classrooms.
For instance, participants from Kenan Foundation Asia in Thailand are actively encouraging teachers to sign up for AI courses. In India, the Learning Links Foundation shared that public schools are seeking AI-trained teachers to keep pace with private schools that have already integrated AI into their curricula.
Yet challenges remain. AI tools evolve faster than curricula can be updated, and many educators lack clear policies or guidance on responsible use. Infrastructure challenges, such as unreliable internet or limited access to devices in rural areas, also further widen gaps in AI adoption.
Another observation was a noticeable hesitation or mistrust toward AI among some teachers, particularly those less familiar with new technologies. This sentiment stands in sharp contrast to student behaviour, where many learners tend to trust AI-generated responses too quickly, often skipping verification or critical checks.
This contrast reinforces the need for structured, evergreen AI literacy that fosters critical thinking, transparency, and oversight in classrooms.
Setting the Foundation with Evergreen AI Curricula
Schools need frameworks that help teachers understand how AI works, where it is reliable, and when human judgement is essential. With the right foundations in place, teachers feel more confident integrating AI into their work.
As Arya Sutopo of Indonesia’s MAFINDO, a local training provider of the AI Opportunity Fund, shared, “After joining the AI Goes to School program, teachers across Indonesia are not just using AI; they’re rediscovering the joy of teaching. What began as simple curiosity about AI has grown into something deeper: a practical, everyday companion that helps them do what they’ve always wanted to do—teach with more creativity, care, and confidence.”
One teacher in South Korea explained how he now builds lesson plans by comparing outputs from multiple specialised AI tools, selecting the most appropriate and adapting it to his classes’ needs. This not only speeds up preparation but also underscores the need for strong evaluation skills when reviewing AI-generated content.
Another teacher shared that he now creates his own educational videos and quizzes using AI, allowing him to tailor explanations to his students’ needs and to model responsible AI use in practice.
Having evergreen AI curricula can provide the foundations for this kind of confident, adaptive teaching. They focus on enduring concepts such as critical evaluation, ethical use, data provenance, and understanding AI’s limitations, ensuring teachers can continue to guide students with both curiosity and discernment as technologies evolve.
At the same time, educators themselves must keep pace with rapid AI advancements. As Shinde Apurva of the Learning Links Foundation noted, new features emerge every few months, risking a growing gap between foundational training and current practice.
Their solution is to supplement core curricula with regularly updated, bite-sized courses and short-form videos on new AI tools and capabilities. These quick-reference resources allow teachers to revisit key guidance whenever needed, helping them stay informed and maintain confidence even long after formal training ends.
Building Capacity through the AI Opportunity Fund
To ensure workers and communities across sectors can thrive in an AI-driven economy, the AI Opportunity Fund is building capacity through foundational AI training and skills-building opportunities for workers and MSMEs across diverse industries, including agriculture, healthcare, education, and more.
A core feature of the Fund is its Train-the-Trainer model, which equips local training providers to deliver nuanced, responsible AI literacy programmes within their communities. This approach strengthens long-term capacity and support culturally relevant AI training across the region.
In the education sector, the training focuses on building a strong conceptual foundation for evergreen AI literacy, empowering teachers and education workers to integrate AI confidently and responsibly into their classrooms.
As AI continues reshaping classrooms across the region, strengthening foundational literacy—and supporting the educators who bring it to life—remains essential. Through evergreen training and a growing network of local partners, the AI Opportunity Fund is helping training providers equip educators with the knowledge and skills to use AI meaningfully.
Learn more here.
