Systemic Thinking as an Ethical Stance: a critical assessment of Artificial Intelligence and Education in the Global South

Abstract

This text constitutes a critical review of Artificial Intelligence and Education in the Global South: A Systems Perspective, by Fernando Reimers, Zainab Azim, Maria-Renée Palomo, and Callysta Thony. The book positions artificial intelligence not as an autonomous solution, but as a sociotechnical component whose educational value depends on systemic alignment with curriculum, teacher development, assessment, governance, and contextual conditions. This review examines the book’s central distinction between educational improvement and transformation, its methodological transparency in the face of a still-emerging evidence base, and its sustained defense of human agency in AI-integrated systems. Three limitations are identified: reliance on an emerging and geographically concentrated literature; tension between thematic breadth and empirical depth; and the risk of theoretical homogenization under the category of the “Global South.” Despite these limitations, the book offers a rigorous, equity-oriented analytical framework and is essential reading for researchers, policymakers, teacher educators, and educational technology developers working in resource-constrained education systems.