Rethinking Education Governance in the Age of AI

Abstract The rapid diffusion of AI in education is commonly framed as a pedagogical, ethical, or technological challenge. This paper argues that AI constitutes a fundamentally governance-related issue, as it reshapes how authority, responsibility, and accountability are distributed within education systems. Building on governance theory and critical scholarship on digitalisation, platformisation, and datafication, the paper conceptualises AI as a systemic and transversal actor that operates across boundaries between centralised regulation and decentralised educational practice. The paper develops an analytical framework grounded in reconfigured hybrid governance models and introduces a conceptual distinction between foundational AI infrastructures (AI models), AI content, and AI tutors. Through a structured literature review and conceptual analysis, it demonstrates how existing governance arrangements—designed for earlier phases of digitalisation—are increasingly misaligned with AI-mediated education systems. The analysis highlights four key governance risks, including the homogenisation of learning processes, intensified surveillance, blurred accountability, and the erosion of student and teacher agency. In response, the paper proposes a reconfigured hybrid governance approach that differentiates governance responsibilities across system levels and AI functions. It further advances concrete policy recommendations aimed at operationalising this approach through regulatory oversight, accountability mechanisms, and the protection of educational purpose and professional autonomy. By foregrounding governance as a central analytical and policy concern, the paper contributes to current debates on how education systems can harness the benefits of AI while safeguarding democratic values and human-centred education.