OpenAI: The Great Equaliser? AI and the Future of Fair Learning

Episode Overview

In this powerful episode of The EdTech Podcast, host Philippa Wraithmell speaks with Jayna Devani, International Education Lead at OpenAI, to explore one of the biggest questions facing modern education:

Can AI create a more equitable, personalised, human-centred learning system for every student, not just the privileged few?

Jayna shares how ChatGPT became one of the world’s most widely used learning tools within months of launch and how OpenAI works with universities, ministries, and governments to support safe, purposeful, and ethical AI use. From Oxford University to Estonia’s national AI rollout, she reveals real stories of AI helping students learn more deeply, creatively, and confidently.

The episode closes with a glimpse into what’s next: multimodal learning, AI agents, deeper integrations and a future where every learner has a personal mentor in their pocket — without replacing teachers.

Key Themes in This Episode

• AI as a personalised, multilingual tutor for every learner
• How students use ChatGPT as a coach, study partner, and career guide
• Global collaborations: Oxford University, Estonia’s 156-school rollout, India’s 10M-learner initiative
• Addressing job fears, AI myths, and responsible use
• The importance of governance, ethics, and AI literacy
• Teacher-led innovation and co-designing classroom AI usage
• Equity, access, affordability & OpenAI’s global low-cost tiers
• Future of learning: AI agents, multimodal models & deeper ecosystem integrations

Why Listen to This Episode?

This is a must-listen for educators, leaders, EdTech strategists and policymakers trying to understand how AI can transform learning responsibly and equitably. Jayna explains:

• How AI can support—not replace—teachers
• Why banning AI widens the equity gap
• How institutions worldwide are transitioning to “AI-native” learning
• What governance, guardrails, and teacher training actually look like
• How students are using ChatGPT to unlock confidence, creativity & career readiness

You’ll walk away with clarity, strategy, and practical insights you can apply immediately.

Who This Episode Is For?

Perfect for:

• Anyone navigating rapid AI transformation
• School and university leaders
• Teachers using or exploring AI
• EdTech founders & learning designers
• Policymakers & AI governance teams
• Innovators shaping future classrooms
• Parents seeking clarity about AI

Full Episode Description

AI Adoption Isn’t New — But Now It’s Universal

Jayna describes what happened inside OpenAI when ChatGPT launched: students became the largest user group globally. Overnight, AI moved from a niche research tool to a classroom companion used for studying, practising skills, and exploring creativity.

This triggered OpenAI’s decision to build an education-focused team and begin collaborating with universities, ministries, teachers, parents, and learners to support responsible adoption.

How OpenAI Works With Educators, Not Around Them

Unlike many EdTech tools, OpenAI follows a co-design approach:

• Listening to teachers and students
• Research-led product design
• Human-centred pedagogy
• Localisation across languages
• Deep partnerships with institutions

Oxford University is one example: every student receives a secure ChatGPT account with privacy controls, helping them use AI safely while learning how to collaborate with it meaningfully.

ChatGPT Is Becoming a Study Partner — Not a Shortcut

Jayna shares real stories, such as a medical student using voice mode to practise patient simulations and improve exam performance.

Other learners use ChatGPT for:

• Thought partnership
• Revision coaching
• Language practice
• Confidence-building
• Creative exploration
• Idea generation
• Entrepreneurship

Students are increasingly treating ChatGPT as a coach, not a “cheating tool”.

Philippa adds a personal example: her son using ChatGPT to strategise in FIFA and refine his problem-solving skills — showing AI’s role in informal learning too.

Teacher Innovation Is Exploding Worldwide

Teachers aren’t being replaced — they’re becoming designers of AI-enhanced learning experiences. Jayna highlights creative use cases:

• Voice-mode debates
• Live AI feedback during student pitches
• Reimagined lessons & personalised activities
• AI-assisted curriculum adaptation
• Reduced admin time so teachers focus on relationships

The OpenAI Academy provides AI literacy training and real classroom examples.

Addressing the Big Fear: Will AI Replace Teachers?

Jayna is clear:
AI enhances human teaching — it does not replace it.

AI removes time-consuming tasks so educators focus on:

• creativity
• deep learning conversations
• personalised interaction
• relationship-building

And with strong AI literacy, students learn why models respond the way they do, building critical thinking and future-ready skills.

Equity at Scale: From Oxford to Africa to India

OpenAI’s mission is to ensure AI benefits everyone, not just elite institutions.

Jayna shares several global inclusion initiatives:

• Estonia — national rollout across 156 schools with governance, neuroscience research & co-design
• Nigeria — OpenAI Academy event supporting teachers & students
• India — national partnership reaching 10 million learners in state-funded schools
• 98 countries — rollout of ChatGPT Go, an affordable low-cost tier

These examples reflect AI’s potential to narrow—not widen—the global education gap when deployed intentionally.

What’s Next: AI Agents, Multimodal Learning, and Ecosystem Integration

Jayna outlines three major future shifts:

1. Personal AI Mentors

ChatGPT will increasingly learn learner preferences*, adapting to:

• personality
• learning style
• language
• goals

2. AI Agents

Tools that handle multi-step tasks such as:

• generating reports
• analysing complex data
• building workflows
• supporting large-scale admin

3. Seamless Integrations

ChatGPT will connect with tools like:

• Google Drive
• SharePoint
• Coursera
• Learning platforms

Result: a deeply contextual, personalised learning ecosystem.

The Future Classroom: Human at the Center

Jayna imagines a world where:

• every student has a multilingual, always-available mentor
• teachers have more time for creativity and relationships
• learning becomes more personalised, accessible & equitable
• AI becomes as natural as using the internet

But she emphasises:
This future only works with strong governance, ethical design, AI literacy, and teacher leadership.

Related Links:

OpenAI website

ChatGPT for Education LinkedIn

Encourage people to follow OpenAI for Education’s LinkedIn and Substack for latest news and to connect with other educators exploring AI in education and learning   

Our ChatGPT Edu page – for all our latest product information 

Link to 100 chats for college students – these chats were made by students, for students. Learn new things, start a career, and navigate life more confidently.

Link to 100 chats for university educators – faculty from a dozen disciplines shared chats they use for teaching and research.

Link to OpenAI Academy – free resources to unlock the knowledge and skills to harness AI effectively. There is a higher education community to join.