BRICS Leaders Endorse Human-Centred Use of AI in Education and Further Exploration of University Ranking System

BRICS leaders on Saturday endorsed sharing best practices in education on the human-centred use of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, and discussed further exploration for the development of the BRICS University Global Ranking and Evaluation System. The declaration welcomed the outcomes of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting in Bhubaneswar and supported continued cooperation through existing mechanisms including the BRICS Network University. Leaders also encouraged sharing best practices and cooperation in early childhood care and education, foundational literacy and numeracy, mutual recognition of qualifications, digital literacy, and the safe, ethical, human-centred use of AI in education.

The declaration places AI education governance in the same multilateral framework as qualification recognition, digital literacy and TVET cooperation, which could affect course collaboration, qualification recognition and AI application norms among BRICS universities. For education product providers, if member states advance cooperation along these lines, compliance and localisation requirements for cross-border education projects and AI tools may shift. The declaration is currently a directional commitment; specific implementation mechanisms, timelines and funding arrangements have not been announced. Cooperation on qualification recognition and academic mobility among BRICS universities may accelerate, affecting cross-border enrolment and course alignment. The ethical and safe use of AI in education has been placed on the multilateral cooperation agenda, which may prompt member states to issue related application norms.