AI, equity and the future of learning in higher education

24 Jul 2026

From Manchester, so far – the Manchester Institute of Education’s recent conference brought together researchers, students and industry leaders to explore how AI can support more equitable, accessible and inclusive learning.

In June, colleagues from the Manchester Institute of Education hosted the Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Balancing Equity, Access and Innovation Conference, supported by the Hallsworth Conference Fund. The event, opened by Professor Duncan Ivison, created space for colleagues, students and partners to consider the question: can generative AI help to advance equity and accessibility in higher education, or does it risk widening existing divides?

The conference placed inclusion at the centre of conversations around AI, exploring how technology can be used to empower rather than exclude, an ambition highlighted in the From Manchester for the world strategy.

Across the two days, speakers and participants explored the opportunities and challenges of AI in education, from personalised learning to questions around bias and ethics. A student panel shared first-hand experiences of global AI inequalities, while plenary discussions considered how AI affects disabled and neurodivergent learners, and how AI can be meaningfully embedded in education.

By bringing these perspectives together, the conference reflected the role our Faculty can play in shaping the responsible use of AI and technology if we continue to ask critical questions and place equity and access at the forefront.

To find out more about the promise and pitfalls of AI in the classroom and what the future of learning could look like, watch this video, featuring MA Student, Iryna, and researchers Dr Heather Cockayne, Dr Skye Zhao and Professor Peter Kahn.