– By Apurva Desai, Communication Lead and Aftab Shaikh, Sr. Communication Associate
Artificial intelligence is steadily reshaping early education, offering personalised and scalable learning experiences that complement traditional classroom teaching. As digital tools become increasingly central to foundational learning, they are opening new avenues for accessible, engaging, and inclusive education, especially for underserved communities.
In this post-Women’s Day special, we bring a 2-part Drivers of ECCE series focused on #WomenShapingAIandLearning.
In Part 1, we feature Ms. Sukhna Sawhney, Education and Content Lead at Rocket Learning. A trailblazer in AI-driven education, she has been instrumental in shaping Appu, our conversational AI learning companion. She shares her insights on making AI accessible, her leadership journey, and Appu’s impact on early education.
Q: Appu is designed to engage parents and children who may have never interacted with AI before. What was the most important factor in making it accessible?
Sukhna Sawhney: Appu is an audio-based input-output bot designed to engage very young children, primarily aged 3 to 6, and their parents in fun, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. When designing a tool like this for young children from relatively lower socio-economic backgrounds, three key factors were paramount:
- Ease of access and navigation – While pedagogical soundness is at the heart of Appu’s design, technology is only truly effective if it simplifies tasks and allows for intuitive navigation. Since young children and their parents are the intended users, the platform must be easy to access and use independently for it to be truly beneficial.
- Fun and novelty – Sustained, long-term engagement depends on how enjoyable and fresh each interaction feels. While repetition is a fundamental pedagogical principle for reinforcing learning, it is equally important to offer a variety of engaging, diverse, and stimulating experiences to keep children interested.
- Child safety – Safety is non-negotiable. Extensive safeguards have been put in place, including built-in prompts encouraging parental supervision during learning sessions. To prevent exposure to inappropriate content, the bot strictly adheres to thematic engagement, redirecting children to relevant learning experiences even if they ask unrelated questions.
Q: Can you share a story or moment from the field that reinforced how impactful Appu could be?
Sukhna Sawhney: During a field visit, we saw something special. As children practised counting in small groups, some struggled to move past certain numbers, getting confused about numerical sequencing. Then, one child turned to the others and said, “Let’s ask our friend Appu!”
He asked the educator for the phone, saying, “I want to talk to my friend.” When she asked who, he confidently replied, “Appu.” Curious, she handed him the phone. He eagerly asked, “Appu, what comes after three?” and listened intently. Then, using real objects, he proudly demonstrated his understanding.
It was a heartwarming moment—Appu wasn’t just a tool but a trusted learning companion. Seeing a child turn to AI as naturally as they would to a teacher or peer reaffirmed why we built Appu in the first place.
Q: Leading an education-focused AI initiative comes with its own set of challenges. As a woman in this space, what has been your biggest hurdle, and how did you navigate it?
Sukhna Sawhney: Being a woman in edtech—especially with the incredible teams at Rocket Learning and Google—has often felt like a superpower rather than a hurdle. While we work to challenge gender norms, the reality is that early childhood education still falls largely on women, both at home and in learning centres.
Ironically, this has worked to my advantage. It has given me greater access to the microsystem of young children—their families, caregivers, and educators—who are often more open and expressive during interactions. Parents trust me to engage with their children freely, without interference, allowing us to observe their natural curiosity, thought processes, and learning styles.
This deeper engagement has been invaluable in shaping Appu—not just as an advanced AI but as a learning companion that truly understands how children grow, explore, and make sense of the world.
Q: How do you see AI transforming foundational learning for low-income communities over the next five years?
Sukhna Sawhney: In today’s world, where technology is advancing rapidly and becoming increasingly ubiquitous, it presents one of the most scalable and sustainable ways to reach the masses. To truly harness its potential, we must create solutions that are safe, accessible, and beneficial to all. Digital penetration and engagement are deeply rooted in society—there is no way to remain isolated from this reality. However, what we can do is leverage its potential while applying human intelligence to maximise its benefits and mitigate its shortcomings.
AI has immense potential to support and enhance in-person teaching by reinforcing and complementing traditional learning methods. While AI can never replace classroom teaching or the value of real-world play, interactions, and experiences, it can supplement these by adapting to individual learning levels. This creates a personalised learning journey where each child is met at their current stage and supported to progress further—all in a fun, engaging, and safe way.
AI should not be seen as a separate or parallel universe but as an integral part of the real world—built by human intelligence and designed to enhance learning. When thoughtfully developed and continuously refined, it can work alongside traditional education to create a more inclusive and effective learning ecosystem.
Q: What keeps you motivated when working on something as ambitious as Appu?
Sukhna Sawhney: The sheer scope and growing understanding of how powerful technology can be is what keeps me motivated. The more I learn, the more intrigued I am by its potential to positively impact education in so many ways.
When you go into the field and hear real-world stories of young children and adults using digital platforms to gain knowledge, build skills, and upskill themselves, it is incredibly inspiring. Technology’s accessibility—its low cost, ease of use, engaging and self-paced nature, and limitless access to knowledge—makes it a powerful tool for learning. Seeing people, especially those from underserved communities, motivated to use technology as their first step towards closing knowledge gaps and finding solutions to their challenges reinforces my belief in AI and tech innovations.
The ability of AI to scale, facilitate knowledge-sharing, and support skill-building in easy, self-paced ways remains the ultimate goal and every interaction in the field—where people demonstrate this belief through their sustained engagement—fuels my passion to continue innovating in this space.