HYDERABAD: As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in education and workplaces, the International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad (IIIT-H) will launch the Centre for Educational Technology and Learning Sciences (CETLS) on Saturday to examine a fundamental question: How can humans continue to learn deeply when machines can provide answers instantly?
According to IIIT-H, the new centre will bring together learning sciences, cognitive science, psychology and AI to develop new learning methods, tools and environments. It will collaborate with schools, universities, edtech companies and international experts.
The centre will initially have two full-time faculty members — Prof Vasudeva Varma and Prof Praveen Garimella — and plans to expand to five to 10 faculty members over the next three to four years.
Prof Varma, who is leading the centre, said its focus would not be on resisting AI but on using it to strengthen human abilities such as attention, curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving and the ability to work through difficult ideas.
He said the centre would explore “slow learning”, which involves doing, questioning, experimentation and deep thinking. AI, he said, should not merely make learning effortless but create “productive struggle”, challenging learners without overwhelming them.
IIIT-H Director Prof Sandeep Shukla said the widespread availability of generative AI had raised questions about conventional teaching and assessment methods. With students able to generate answers and assignments instantly, educators need to rethink how knowledge and understanding are taught and evaluated.