#329 AI, Sovereignty and the New Education Divide

AI, Sovereignty and the New Education Divide In this thought-provoking episode of The EdTech Podcast, Philippa Wraithmell speaks with Tom Orrell and Cameron Mirza about education, AI, global development and the growing divide between countries that can shape technological change — and those at risk of having it shaped for them.

Tom, Deputy Director of Programs at Development Gateway, brings a background in human rights law, digital policy, sustainable development and humanitarian action. Cameron, Chief of Party for the Assas programme in Jordan, brings deep experience from the UK Department for Education and large-scale education reform across the Middle East. Together, they explore how their different professional routes have led to a shared focus on equity, ethics, implementation and meaningful system change.

The conversation begins with the human story behind their work: family connections to teaching, personal motivations, and the values that have shaped their careers. Cameron reflects on how his mother's work as a primary school teacher continues to influence his commitment to early-grade education, while Tom shares how his own route through human rights, law and digital policy shaped his belief in critical thinking, rights and international cooperation.

At the heart of the episode is the Assas programme in Jordan, which focuses on improving early-grade literacy and numeracy outcomes for young learners. Tom and Cameron discuss why foundational education matters not just for academic success, but for long-term life chances, economic development, health outcomes and social prosperity.

The discussion then moves into the realities facing education systems globally. Cameron highlights the scale of the current learning crisis, teacher shortages, student debt, cost-of-living pressures and the increasing strain on public systems. Tom builds on this by exploring how AI and emerging technologies are accelerating change — but not always in a positive direction. AI, he argues, is not inherently good or bad; it is an acceleration force that can deepen harm or expand opportunity depending on the choices made around governance, policy and implementation.

A key theme throughout the episode is sovereignty. Tom and Cameron unpack why AI sovereignty is no longer just about where data is stored. It is also about computing power, local infrastructure, culturally relevant datasets, language, regulation, national priorities and the ability of countries to make informed