AI can answer questions, but cannot teach children to ask them: Priyank Kharge
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Priyank Kharge and other dignitaries felicitate the best teachers during the district-level Teachers’ Day celebrations in Kalaburagi on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) may provide answers to questions, but it cannot cultivate in children the ability to ask questions, Minister for Home, IT-BT, e-Governance and Kalaburagi district in-charge Priyank Kharge said on Tuesday.
“AI can answer a question when it is asked, but it cannot develop the capacity among children to question. Therefore, teachers cannot be replaced by technology,” Mr. Kharge said, underlining that teachers are indispensable despite the rapid advancement of technology.
He was speaking after inaugurating the district-level Teachers’ Day celebrations for 2026-27, organised jointly by the Zilla Panchayat and the School Education Department at Dr. S.M. Pandit Rangamandira in Kalaburagi.
Underlining the importance of teachers in imparting value-based education to children, Mr. Kharge said their vital responsibility could never be replaced by AI.
“Children need to be taught to distinguish between right and wrong. Merely creating smart classrooms will not make children smart. They should be exposed not only to mythology and discourses but also to scientific thinking and curiosity. Only when children develop the courage to question can they truly be called smart,” he said.
Mr. Kharge said teachers had a major role in building an enlightened society, as a good society and a strong nation could be built only by responsible citizens. “You have been entrusted with the responsibility of performing this noble task,” he told the teachers.
Referring to the decline in the district’s SSLC results, he said teachers should not be discouraged by criticism. “When SSLC results decline, people criticise both me and you. Do not worry about such criticism. Instead, continue your efforts to improve the results,” he said.
“India’s progress depends on the quality of its education and the ability of teachers to prepare children for a rapidly changing world. It is crucial to encourage scientific thinking, curiosity and questioning among students rather than limiting education to textbook knowledge,” Mr. Kharge said.
The programme was presided over by Kalaburagi South MLA Allamprabhu Patil. Chairman of Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation and Kalaburagi North MLA Kaneez Fatima, GESCOM Chairman Praveen Patil Harawal, KKRTC Chairman Arun Kumar Patil, KUDA Chairman Mazhar Alam Khan, Zilla Panchayat CEO Rahul Sankanoor and representatives of teachers’ organisations were present.
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