From global technologies to local realities: Conceptualizing human-centered AI integration in Caribbean language education

Abstract

The rapid advancement of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping educational systems worldwide, yet discussions on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) have largely overlooked the unique realities of Caribbean language education. The region’s multilingual ecologies, Creolophone identities, uneven digital infrastructures, and postcolonial educational contexts necessitate a more context-sensitive approach to AI integration. This conceptual article examines the current state of AI in Caribbean language education and argues that meaningful adoption requires moving beyond technology-centered perspectives toward a human-focused and culturally responsive framework. Drawing on contemporary AIED scholarship and regional educational realities, the article proposes the Caribbean Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence in Language Education (CHAILE) Framework as an extension of the Carib-AIM framework. The framework conceptualizes AI integration as a dynamic interaction among teacher capacity and professional agency, institutional support and infrastructure, pedagogical affordances of AI, learner engagement and critical AI literacy, and contextually relevant language learning outcomes. In doing so, it positions AI as a cognitive and pedagogical partner that augments rather than replaces human thinking, professional judgment, and authentic language learning. The article further outlines strategic priorities for effective AI adoption in Caribbean language education, including strengthening teacher preparation and professional development, promoting critical AI literacy, redesigning pedagogical and assessment practices, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and developing Caribbean-centered AI systems that reflect the region’s linguistic and cultural diversity. It also identifies key directions for future research concerning multilingual AI systems, culturally responsive pedagogies, educational equity, and the long-term implications of human-AI partnerships in language learning. By advancing a regionally-informed conceptualization of AI integration, this article contributes to the emerging AIED literature by foregrounding issues of cultural authenticity, linguistic inclusion, and human agency. Ultimately, it argues that the transformative potential of AI in Caribbean language education will depend less on technological sophistication and more on the region’s capacity to develop equitable, culturally-situated, and pedagogically meaningful AI ecosystems.