Times of India · 11 Aug 2026
AI to assist, not replace teachers: Education minister
Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari said artificial intelligence should support teachers rather than replace them, stressing the importance of balancing technology with ethics and human values. Speaking at a two-day state-level education workshop in Patna, he highlighted the need for students to develop the ability to ask meaningful questions instead of simply using technology to find answers. He also outlined Bihar’s progress in digital education, local-language learning resources, academic monitoring systems and initiatives aimed at improving learning outcomes and maintaining educational quality.
Why it matters
The minister’s remarks reflect an increasingly important challenge for Indian education: integrating AI without weakening the human dimensions of teaching, mentorship and critical thinking. As AI tools become more accessible, institutions will need to move beyond simply adopting technology and develop clear frameworks for responsible academic use.
For higher education, this has implications for faculty development, curriculum design, assessment practices and academic integrity. Teachers will increasingly need capabilities to use AI for lesson preparation, personalised learning support, feedback and administrative efficiency while retaining responsibility for academic judgement and student development. Institutions may also need to redesign assessments so that students demonstrate reasoning, questioning, application and original thinking rather than relying primarily on AI-generated responses. The broader direction is therefore not teacher-versus-technology, but building a faculty-led model in which AI strengthens teaching effectiveness while human expertise, ethics and educational relationships remain central.
Source: Times of India (opens in a new tab)
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AI for Higher Education1