THE PROJECT
The Brazilian Observatory for Artificial Intelligence in Education (OBSIA) is a joint initiative of Fundação Itaú, Fundação Telefônica Vivo, and the Transformative Learning Technologies Lab (TLTL) at Columbia University.
Its primary objective is to define the strategic role these organizations can play in the debate on AI in Brazilian public education by identifying the field’s most significant systemic gaps. The Observatory takes a critical, evidence-based approach that avoids both technological hype and overly generic assessments. Its focus is to translate this work into practical guidance tailored to specific audiences: technical teams within education departments, school leaders, and teachers.
To this end, the Observatory surveys the state of the art in AI and education research while sharing and building upon the body of research produced by its own researchers in 2025.
Another important area of work involves adopting a policymaking lens to identify real-world tensions, risks, and enabling conditions that should be considered before AI is introduced into public school systems. This work is guided by the core principles of human-centeredness, equity, the protection of children and adolescents, AI literacy, and strong technical and pedagogical foundations.
The Observatory’s ultimate purpose is to develop new evidence, studies, and practical tools that support the critical, ethical, and equitable adoption of AI across public school systems: a diagnostic assessment of school systems’ maturity and real-world conditions, and a risk assessment matrix for evaluating educational AI tools before their adoption.
IMMERSION IN NYC | 2026
