The Role of AI in Bridging Learning Gaps for At-Risk Students

The educational system often fails those who need it most—students marginalized by poverty, language barriers, trauma, or inconsistent support. This chapter explores how artificial intelligence, when wielded thoughtfully, can help bridge these long-standing learning gaps. By offering real-time feedback, personalized pathways, and data-informed intervention, AI-driven tools like virtual tutors provide at-risk students with the kind of individualized attention that traditional classrooms struggle to deliver. But while the promise is powerful, it is not without peril. Ethical concerns around bias, surveillance, and access disparities must be addressed with urgency and humility. Drawing from real-world implementations and critical research, this chapter argues that AI can be more than just a tool—it can be a lifeline. If designed with care and guided by equity, AI has the potential to not only support learning but to radically reimagine what inclusive education can be.