Is There No Way Home? A Systematic Review of the Challenges and Opportunities in Educational Artificial Intelligence Integration

This literature review takes a closer look at how artificial intelligence (AI) is being integrated into education, pointing out both the promising opportunities and the challenges that come with it. While interest in using AI in educational settings continues to grow, much of the research remains scattered, and there hasn’t yet been a comprehensive effort to bring it all together. In this review, five key themes are explored: how AI supports teaching and curriculum development, its role in improving learning processes and data analytics, the benefits it offers, the obstacles that stand in the way of its adoption, and the ethical and regulatory concerns surrounding its use. The findings show that although AI holds strong potential for creating more personalized and efficient learning experiences, challenges like insufficient infrastructure, lack of proper training for educators, and ongoing ethical issues still need to be addressed. Out of an initial pool of 1,280 studies, a careful screening process led to the inclusion of 24 studies in the final analysis. To make the study selection process as clear and open as possible, the researchers followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework. This method allowed the researchers to clearly trace each phase of the selection, starting from eliminating duplicate records and excluding studies that were either irrelevant or unavailable, to finally identifying the ones most aligned with the goals of the review. By concentrating on the most relevant and well-conducted studies, the review emphasizes how essential it is for educators, policymakers, and technology experts to work together in addressing the ongoing challenges. In the end, the review offers a conceptual framework for how AI can shape future educational environments, providing a useful reference for upcoming strategies and a clearer picture of AI’s growing influence in education.