How can we respond to increasingly complex educational needs?
In a changing school environment, inclusion is not just about those with a certified disability, but involves the entire educational community, which learns to recognise everyone’s needs, to build bonds, and to transform differences into opportunities for growth for all. With this in mind, let us try to examine together two trends that are only seemingly unrelated: on the one hand, the spread of AI companions among teenagers and young people, as reported in the latest briefing from the European Parliament’s Research Service; on the other, the new Istat data on the school inclusion of pupils with disabilities in Italy.
The first phenomenon speaks to us of a growing need for a listening ear, recognition and a sense of belonging. More and more young people are experimenting with forms of interaction with artificial systems designed to simulate closeness, availability and emotional responsiveness. Many young people are seeking spaces where they can feel welcomed, understood and less alone.
The second phenomenon reminds us that schools are already being called upon to respond to increasingly complex needs. In the 2024–2025 school year, there were almost 377,000 pupils with disabilities, accounting for 4.8 per cent of the total enrolment. Resources, support teachers and assistants for independence and communication are increasing, but significant challenges remain: disruption to learning, unmet support needs, a shortage of assistive devices, and still insufficient training in educational technologies.
Behind these figures lies an issue that goes beyond equipment, support hours or digital tools. It concerns the quality of relationships. Because inclusion is not achieved when a pupil is simply ‘supported’ outside or on the fringes of the class group. It is achieved when their presence changes the way we teach, learn and collaborate. When someone’s vulnerability becomes an opportunity to design more accessible environments, clearer language, more respectful timings and more cooperative activities.
The educational relationship that supports the most vulnerable helps everyone to grow. It helps students facing greater difficulties to feel part of the class, but it also helps their classmates to develop empathy, responsibility and the ability to collaborate. It helps teachers to innovate their teaching methods, to personalise learning pathways, and to better identify pupils’ needs. It helps families not to feel alone. It helps the school to truly become a community.
From this perspective, artificial intelligence can also take on a different role. Not as a substitute for human relationships, but as a tool to strengthen them. A support for participation, autonomy and shared learning.
This is the aim of Pathway Companion, the project developed by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale in collaboration with the Fondazione Don Gnocchi, ItLogiX and Roma Tre University, with the support of Google.org. The solution uses artificial intelligence to support carers, teachers and pupils with special educational needs and specific learning difficulties, offering personalised tools to make educational pathways more accessible and support academic success.
Those who support children and young people in their development on a daily basis now have an additional tool to help them provide care, as it frees up energy, facilitates communication, adapts materials and makes it easier to access information.
This is why the Fondazione Mondo Digitale complements its innovation projects with educational and cultural resources, such as the guidelines ‘Media and minors: from control to educational care’. The challenge is to create environments in which technology is guided by educational intent, shared responsibility and a focus on people.
Only in this way can we avoid the misuse of technology, such as artificial intelligence becoming a solitary refuge. Technology alone cannot make the difference; rather, it is the educational relationship we are able to build around it that will.
