This talk by Prof. Ig Ibert Bittencourt, GSoLEN's scientist of the month of March 2026, introduces Positive Artificial Intelligence in Education (P‑AIED), an emerging subfield at the intersection of AI, education, and positive psychology.

P-AIED aims to promote both learning and well-being, never one at the expense of the other.

Drawing on decades of evidence from low- and middle-income countries, he shows that well-designed, personalized AI can improve learning outcomes while also supporting students’ emotional needs, mental health, and motivation.

Prof. Bittencourt warns that many current AI and generative AI tools focus narrowly on performance and can even manipulate users’ emotions, and instead calls for intelligent tutoring systems that care about students’ feelings, engagement, and sense of purpose.
He shares examples from China and Europe that measure effort and flow states, and presents meta-analytic evidence that P‑AIED designs can simultaneously increase students' well-being and learning.

He ends with an open invitation to collaborate in building a global community dedicated to AI in education that centers equity, inclusion, and well-being, echoing UNESCO’s priorities.”