Edoardo Ghezzani

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly become a pervasive force in contemporary society, shaping how we communicate, learn, and represent human diversity. This paper investigates how AI generates images of people with severe disabilities and examines the cultural, ethical, and educational implications of these representations. AI tools, widely accessible and easy to use, are increasingly integrated into the daily lives of both adults and youth. However, the uncritical use of AI can perpetuate stereotypes, invisibilize marginalized groups, and reinforce existing social biases. This research was conducted using six popular AI tools—ChatGPT, Copilot, DeepSeek, Gemini, Aria (Opera), and Canva (Dream Lab)—through 120 test prompts requesting the generation of an image of a person with a severe disability. The study identifies five categories of AI responses: (1) inability to generate images, (2) refusal to produce disability-related images, (3) requests for more detailed information, (4) idyllic but unrealistic depictions, and (5) images focused on dependency and care. By combining philosophical analysis with empirical data, this paper argues for the necessity of educating to difference and fostering critical media literacy to challenge the biases embedded in AI systems. It concludes by proposing pathways for inclusive AI design and pedagogical strategies to promote the visibility and dignity of people with severe disabilities.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming our world, offering new opportunities and challenges across various sectors, including education and the inclusion of people with disabilities. This article explores the role of AI in the context of complex disabilities, highlighting both its potential benefits and the risks associated with its use. Generative AI, capable of creating texts, music, and images based on simple prompts, represents a technological revolution. However, it tends to reproduce societal stereotypes, often overlooking the complexity and diversity of disabilities. People with complex disabilities risk being further marginalized by the idealized and inaccurate representations generated by AI. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education raises crucial questions about methodologies, ethics, and inclusion. AI can be employed as a teaching tool, as an object of critical learning, or even as a system to be "educated" to ensure fairness and the absence of bias. The interdisciplinary perspective of AIED (Artificial Intelligence in Edu‐ cation) highlights the importance of dialogue between pedagogy and computer science to develop meaningful curricula. However, international guide‐ lines often overlook the concept of inclusion. A proposed revision of the five pillars of AI education includes, in addition to coding, critical thinking, and post‐AI humanism, a pillar dedicated to inclusion. This involves using AI to support students with disabilities and teaching critical awareness of data. Research in this field must be grounded in solid pedagogical foundations so that AI not only enhances educational processes but also makes them more accessible and inclusive.

Since the 2006 UN CRPD, many steps have been taken in the field of inclusion. For example, accessibility has become very important in Europe thanks to the EAA 2019. Many people with disabilities are finally fully included in social life, finding jobs, accessible activities, adaptive sports. But it's still clear that many other people with disabilities are excluded from society, especially people with complex conditions where a severe physical disability is combined with an intellectual disability. In these cases, it's necessary to activate many tailor-made interventions, attentive to the needs of each individual. This type of care involves a major commitment, which for some people may be an "unreasonable" effort, to use a provocative comparison with the basic concept of "reasonable accommodation" in the UN Convention. It is therefore essential to take up this challenge and offer educational activities that are accessible to people with complex disabilities, leaving no one behind.