Educating for Agency: African Philosophies of Personhood and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Education

ABSTRACT
The global diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) in education presents a profound anthropological and ethical challenge: how to preserve human agency and moral responsibility within increasingly automated learning systems. In African educational contexts, this challenge intersects with long-standing debates about personhood, community, and the moral purpose of education. This paper argues that African philosophies of personhood especially the communitarian ethic of Ubuntu offer vital resources for reimagining education in the AI era. Drawing on African philosophical anthropology, Christian theological reflections on the imago Dei, and contemporary educational ethics, the study develops a conceptual framework for “educating for agency.” This framework emphasizes the formative, relational, and moral dimensions of learning that cannot be replicated by algorithmic systems. Through a critical dialogue between technology and tradition, the paper demonstrates that AI must serve, not substitute, the humanizing goals of education. By integrating African wisdom traditions and ethical reasoning, it concludes that preserving human agency in AI-driven education is not merely a technological adjustment but a moral and cultural imperative for the future of learning in Africa.