New Delhi: At the BRICS Summit 2026, National Testing Agency Director General Abhishek Singh called for member nations to develop common frameworks on AI use in education, citing concerns that excessive reliance on the technology could harm students' cognitive development.
"Students and those in education are all facing challenges arising from the adoption of AI technology. We have seen how several countries are considering blocking the use of AI, especially among school and college students, and how excessive use of technology can impact cognitive thinking," Singh told IANS.
Sharing India's exam infrastructure
Singh said India is consolidating its public exam systems and plans to eventually share the final format with other countries, similar to how digital public infrastructure has been exported. "Once we have perfected it for our students in India, then, of course, the next step will naturally be to share it with the larger world community," he said.
He added that the assessment and testing framework could become "another digital public good, a digital public infrastructure." The NTA chief also referenced the Delhi Declaration adopted at BRICS, saying India will explore ways to share knowledge and best practices in technology with other member nations.
AI's role in exam administration
While warning about AI's effect on student cognition, Singh acknowledged the technology's practical uses in running exams. He said AI can help generate item banks, validate questions, perform checks, and translate test content into multiple languages under tight deadlines.
"It helps in using technology to generate a larger volume of questions, conduct validations, perform checks, and carry out translations in less time," he said. This dual position - limiting student-facing AI while using it operationally - reflects the balance many education systems are now attempting to strike. Professionals working in AI for Education will recognize this tension between administrative efficiency and pedagogical caution.
Global South expectations
Singh noted that 37 deep-tech startups showcased AI solutions during BRICS Summit 2026 events. "A lot of expectations are there, especially from this group, from the countries of the Global South, on how we can make the governance of AI more equitable, more balanced, more open," he said.
The push for common frameworks comes as individual countries take divergent approaches to AI in schools - some banning it outright, others integrating it into curricula. A coordinated BRICS position could influence how education technology develops across member economies. For educators adapting to these shifts, structured guidance such as AI for Teachers training programs offers a practical starting point.
Why this matters for educators
The proposal signals that AI policy in education is moving from national experimentation toward multilateral coordination. If BRICS nations adopt shared assessment frameworks, teachers and administrators may need to adjust curricula and testing practices to align with new cross-border standards. The operational use of AI for exam translation and item generation could also accelerate, changing how assessments are built and delivered in large public systems.
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