Professor Andrew Sankavarajan of IIT Madras has revealed why the institute is not yet deploying AI for its 10,000 students, despite growing interest in educational technology. According to him, the main blockers are not financial but relate to two critical challenges: accuracy and trust.
"It's not the cost. It's the 10%." – Professor Andrew Sankavarajan
Sankavarajan emphasized that AI systems must achieve near-perfect reliability before they can be used at scale in education. Even a 10% error rate could undermine learning outcomes and student trust. The professor's comments come amid broader discussions about AI integration in Indian higher education, where institutions are balancing innovation with pedagogical responsibility.
IIT Madras continues to explore AI's potential through research and pilot programs but insists on rigorous testing before full-scale deployment.