While artificial intelligence (AI) has already entered school curriculums across many countries, becoming a distinct subject in classrooms from Tokyo to Tallinn, Azerbaijan’s integration of AI into education remains slow and uneven.
Why is that the case — and what is being done to change it?
Infrastructure and Staffing Gaps Slow Integration
According to education expert Goshgar Maharramov, the country’s schools still lack the necessary infrastructure and trained personnel.
“Not every classroom in Azerbaijan is equipped with computers or stable internet access. Many teachers have limited digital literacy – some are not even familiar with the basic concepts of AI. In such conditions, teaching AI as a subject is simply impossible,” he said.
Another education specialist, Mezahir Mammadli, believes that full-scale AI integration in public schools is unlikely in the near term.
“We need to first prepare qualified instructors, establish a strong technical base, and adapt the national curriculum. Without that, Azerbaijan risks falling behind European countries where AI is already part of education – which could undermine the future competitiveness of our workforce,” he told Media.Az.
Still, Mammadli notes that research in AI is developing, with several institutions under the National Academy of Sciences working on experimental projects – including prototypes of AI systems that can answer students’ questions in real time. However, he says, it will take “time and discipline” to scale such technologies nationwide.
Risk of Turning Students into Passive Users
Could early exposure to AI make students overly dependent on technology?
Maharramov dismisses this concern:
“AI doesn’t trigger the dopamine-driven behavior that gaming does. It doesn’t cause addiction or reward loops – it’s a learning tool, not a toy.”
However, another expert, Ramin Nuraliev, says that without a strong focus on critical thinking, AI education could risk producing passive users rather than creative thinkers.
He notes that international models – where people can enter the IT industry without traditional diplomas – could be adapted in Azerbaijan to encourage skill-based education.
“Learning AI at school will not make students dependent – it will help them understand how technology works,” he said.
Experts agree that AI lessons should go hand in hand with courses in logic, mathematics, and problem-solving – areas already prioritized in international testing systems such as PISA.
Ministry’s Position: AI Already Embedded in Informatics
According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Science and Education, AI-related topics are already partially covered within the Informatics curriculum.
Students study the basics of information culture, cybersecurity, and data protection — including an introduction to AI and its applications.
“Given this framework, there is currently no need to introduce AI as a separate subject,” the ministry told Media.Az.
The government’s 2022–2026 Socio-Economic Development Strategy emphasizes early digital literacy, expansion of ICT in education, and broader access to online learning.
So far, 90% of public schools about 3,798 institutions – have been connected to the internet through fiber-optic, GPON, ADSL, or wireless networks. Full national coverage is expected within the next few years.
AI Lessons Enter Classrooms Through ‘Digital Skills’ Project
The Digital Skills initiative, launched in cooperation with the international education company Algorithmika, has modernized computer science classes since 2017.
In the 2024–2025 school year, AI-based lessons were added to the program, and starting 2025–2026, students will begin hands-on work with neural networks to solve academic and real-life problems.
Under the updated Informatics curriculum, students learn to use AI progressively by grade:
Grade 5: Visual AI tools for illustrations and presentations
Grade 6: AI-assisted spelling and grammar checking
Grade 7: Introduction to prompt writing for ChatGPT and similar systems
Grade 8: Creating multimedia content with AI
Grade 9: Website generation and coding automation with HTML/CSS
Grade 10: Neural networks and media generation
Grade 11: Advanced AI projects and applied problem-solving
In schools with advanced informatics programs, students also study Python’s Pandas library, preparing them for data analytics and machine learning.
Preparing Teachers for the AI Era
To support educators, Algorithmika and the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University (ASPU) have introduced a specialized course, “Artificial Intelligence in the Teacher’s Work.”
The program trains future teachers to use neural networks to plan lessons, create evaluation rubrics, and assist students with personalized learning.
Meanwhile, the national platform “Digital School”, currently active in Baku, is helping schools digitize management and learning processes, increasing transparency and efficiency.
The Road Ahead
Experts agree that Azerbaijan’s path to integrating AI in education will be gradual but inevitable. The foundations – infrastructure, training, and pilot programs – are being laid.
What remains is systemic implementation, ensuring that AI becomes not a luxury subject for elite schools, but a core skill for the next generation.
