Brazil Ranks 10th Worldwide in Educational AI While Piauí Wins UNESCO Prize - Why This Leadership Contrasts with Structural Challenges

Brazil has just witnessed a fascinating movement: while we occupy the 10th place in the world in the use of artificial intelligence in education, with 56% of teachers using the technology - well above the average of 36% in OECD countries - we also gained international recognition with the Piauí's pioneering project awarded by UNESCO.

It's no coincidence. This moment reveals something profound about how we are navigating the AI revolution in education: with pragmatism, necessity and, paradoxically, little structural support.

The Brazilian Vanguard in Numbers

The data from OECD Talis 2024 survey paint a surprising picture. Among the global leaders in the educational use of AI, we find:

• United Arab Emirates and Singapore: 75% teachers
• Brazil: 56% teachers (10th position)
• South Korea: 43%
• Denmark: 36%
• France: only 14%

But herein lies the most revealing contrast: 64% of Brazilian teachers say they don't have adequate pedagogical skills to use AI, and 60% say that their schools don't have adequate infrastructure. It's a leadership built on necessity and self-education.

The Piauí Case: When Vision Meets Execution

While this was happening, the Piauí made history. The state became the first territory in the Americas to include artificial intelligence as a compulsory subject in public schools, from 9th grade to 3rd grade.

The project benefits more than 90,000 students in 540 schools and has already trained more than 680 teachers. It's not just about teaching AI concepts - it's about critical thinking, digital ethics and preparing students for a future where technology will be ubiquitous.

Amanda Santos, a teacher in Guaribas, in rural Piauí, captures the essence perfectly: “The concern is to ensure that students are not just consumers of technology, but that they understand how it works.”

The Model That's Spreading

UNESCO's recognition didn't come by chance. The Piauí project combines digital and face-to-face activities, This makes it easier to access even in environments with few resources. Seven Brazilian states have already sent teams to Piauí to replicate the model.

This reminds me of conversations I have constantly in my mentoring: innovation doesn't need to be complex, it needs to be contextualized.

The Paradox of Improvised Leadership

What strikes me most is not just our position in the ranking, but how we got there. According to the research, the use of AI by Brazilian teachers happens “out of practical necessity and pedagogical improvisation, without adequate institutional planning”.

The figures reveal this reality:

• 80% use AI in lesson planning to save time
• 62,6% to learn more about topics or create summaries
• 64,2% apply the personalization of teaching
• 53,7% supporting students with special needs

It's a leadership built on resilience - a characteristic I've always admired in the Brazilian innovation ecosystem. Our teachers are doing what we've always done: innovate with the resources we have, not the ones we'd like to have.

The Global Investment Moment

While Brazil is building this educational leadership organically, the world is investing heavily. O Google announced R$ 82 billion to build the largest AI center outside the US in India. A Meta has expanded its dubbing tool to Portuguese, recognizing our market.

These movements confirm something I've been observing: Brazil is on the global AI radar, not just as a market, but as a source of talent and unique use cases.

The Challenges that Define the Future

But it would be naive to ignore the obstacles. O excellent article in Folha on the macroeconomic impacts of AI in Brazil by 2030 provides a realistic analysis: while developed countries can accumulate gains of 3.2% in GDP, Brazil would reach 0.6%.

The limiting factors are well known:

• Large contingent of informal workers
• Fragmented legacy systems in small businesses
• Insufficient training in exact sciences
• Low domestic savings for large investments

But there is a positive side to this analysis: the availability of open source models can accelerate our adoption from 55% to around 70% by 2030, putting Brazil on a par with the most developed countries.

The Human Factor in the Age of AI

One of the most interesting discussions to emerge from today's news is about the skills that cannot be replaced by AI. Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, was direct: the future belongs to the adaptable, not to those with the most sophisticated diplomas.

The four core competencies he identifies are:

• Adaptability
• Vision of the future
• Willingness to learn
• Openness to new tools

This resonates with something I've always advocated: AI won't replace humans, but humans who use AI will replace humans who don't. The data confirms it: 71% of business leaders prefer to hire someone with AI skills, even if they are less experienced.

Public Consultation as a Sign of Maturity

A movement that has gone almost unnoticed, but which I consider fundamental: the federal government opens public consultation on the use of AI in education. This initiative seeks to build “a framework for the responsible development and use of AI in the education sector”.

To take part in this consultation is to take part in building the future. The topics include data protection, combating bias, copyright, transparency, teacher training and infrastructure.

It's exactly the kind of move that shows institutional maturity - something that perfectly complements our practical leadership in the educational use of AI.

The Changing Workplace

The discussion in Senate on the impact of AI on the workplace brought important data: around 40% of jobs globally will be impacted by AI, according to the IMF.

But there are positive signs. Paula Montagner, from the Ministry of Labor, notes that the majority of communication professionals already work as individual entrepreneurs - a trend that could grow with AI, creating new opportunities for self-employment.

Hugo Valadares Siqueira, from the Ministry of Science and Technology, went further: “AI can help reduce working hours without eliminating jobs, benefiting workers” quality of life."

Where We Are and Where We're Going

The picture that emerges from today's news is of a Brazil that is building leadership in practice, even with structural limitations. We are the country that:

• Ranks 10th in the world for educational use of AI
• First project in the Americas awarded by UNESCO
• Building participatory public policies
• It forms a new generation that sees AI as a tool, not a threat

But we are also the country that needs it:

• Investing in infrastructure and training
• Taking advantage of the momentum of open source models
• Accelerating responsible business adoption
• Focus on the human dimension of technology

The Moment of Conscious Action

We are living in a unique moment: we have practical leadership, international recognition and a window of opportunity with more democratic models. The question is not whether we should embrace AI - Brazilian professors have already answered that. The question is how to make this leadership generate sustainable impact.

In my work with companies and executives, I constantly see the same pattern as in education: those who are experimenting responsibly come out ahead. Those who wait for the “perfect” moment are left behind.

The example of Piauí is especially powerful because it shows that educational innovation can happen regardless of abundant resources. It's about vision, planning and consistent execution.

The federal government's public consultation on AI in education is open until October 29. It's our chance to influence the guidelines that will define how Brazil uses AI in education in the coming years.

In my mentoring and consulting work, I help executives and companies take advantage of exactly these moments of transition - when practical leadership meets structural opportunity. Brazil has all the ingredients to consolidate itself as a global benchmark in responsible educational AI.

The question that remains is: how are you and your organization going to participate in this construction?