Fifty representatives from teacher education faculties across Latin America met in Santiago on 14 October 2026 to discuss how initial teacher education should respond to the rapidly growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms. Organised by the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago with REDECANEDU and CONFAUCE, in collaboration with CodeAI, the round table focused on how institutions can incorporate AI in ways that are ethical, inclusive and centred on pedagogy.
From pilots to institutional strategies
Participants — including deans, senior management and those responsible for teacher education — drew on experiences from Mexico, Colombia and Chile to identify shared opportunities and tensions. Organisers and speakers emphasised that short‑term or individual projects will not be sufficient; faculties need coherent, institution‑wide approaches to prepare teachers for the ethical and pedagogical challenges posed by AI tools.
"the challenge is not limited to teaching how to use technological tools, but involves preparing teachers who are able to understand artificial intelligence critically, recognize its risks and exercise professional autonomy in deciding when and how to integrate it into their teaching practices ."
The remark, made on behalf of UNESCO by Francisca Díaz, coordinator of the regional teacher strategy, framed a recurring theme of the meeting: teacher judgements and classroom practice should sit at the heart of any curriculum or policy response to new technologies.
Equity and collective action
Leaders from the region warned that AI could widen existing educational inequalities if teacher training does not explicitly address access, inclusion and the digital divides between institutions and communities. Both Erika Vásquez Salazar, president of REDECANEDU, and Elizabeth Zepeda, president of CONFAUCE, called for stronger collaboration among Faculties of Education and a systematic review of teacher education processes so that the benefit of new technologies is not limited to better‑resourced settings.
Those at the event explored areas for cooperation across institutions and national borders, seeking ways to share resources, research and policy responses. Delegates examined how curricula, assessment and practicum arrangements may need to evolve to reflect AI’s influence on learning, teacher workload and classroom assessment.
- Scope: 50 representatives from Faculties of Education across Latin America attended a regional round table in Santiago.
- Organisers: UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago, REDECANEDU, CONFAUCE (Chile) and CodeAI.
- Date: 14 October 2026.
Implications for policy and practice
While the meeting did not set out detailed national policies, it highlighted several practical implications for teacher education providers and policymakers:
- Move from isolated initiatives to coordinated institutional strategies that integrate AI literacy with core pedagogical training.
- Prioritise critical understanding of AI risks and safeguards so teachers can exercise professional autonomy in classroom decisions.
- Design collaborative mechanisms between institutions to prevent a widening digital divide and ensure equitable access to training and tools.
Speakers underlined that adapting initial teacher education will involve changes across curriculum design, educator professional development and partnerships with technology providers. They also suggested that faculties need to consider how to adapt their assessment of teaching competence so it reflects new digital practices without undermining professional judgement.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Participants | 50 representatives (deans, senior management, teacher education leads) |
| Organisers | UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago; REDECANEDU; CONFAUCE; CodeAI |
| Focus | Institutional challenges for initial teacher education in the era of AI |
The round table underscores a common refrain among education leaders internationally: technology alone does not transform teaching. What matters for schools and pupils, they argued, is how institutions prepare teachers to make informed, ethical and pedagogically sound decisions about when and how to use AI in learning environments. For teacher educators and ministers of education, the challenge now is turning those institutional conversations into concrete curricular change, quality assurance and support systems that ensure all trainee teachers — regardless of country or institution — are equipped to teach in an AI‑shaped world.
