THE ALGORITHM CANNOT CARE, BUT IT CAN SUPPORT CARE: RETHINKING AFFECTIVE EDUCATION IN AI-MEDIATED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

This theoretical contribution examines the boundary between authentic educational care and its algorithmic simulation in AI-mediated learning environments. Drawing on Noddings’ (1984, 2005) ethics of care and recent critiques of AI-simulated empathy in educational settings (Ortega-Ochoa et al., 2023), it argues that AI cannot replicate the embodied, ethical dimensions of genuine educational relationships. Nevertheless, AI can meaningfully support care processes—particularly in inclusive contexts (Barajas Motta et al., 2025)—when educators develop adequate competencies to navigate affective human-machine interaction (Shan et al., 2025). The concept of Digital Affective Literacy is proposed as a foundational teacher competency (UNESCO, 2024), enabling a critical distinction between simulated responsiveness and genuine relational engagement, and repositioning the educator as the irreplaceable caring presence in AI-mediated environments.