As artificial intelligence permeates the educational landscape, a critical conversation is shifting from ‘how’ we teach to ‘who’ actually gets to learn with these tools. While proponents argue that AI acts as an equalizer—offering 24/7 tutoring and personalized curricula—the reality on the ground threatens to calcify, rather than dismantle, systemic educational inequities. At the heart of this issue is the digital divide. We are rapidly approaching a bifurcated reality: students in well-funded districts, equipped with high-end premium AI subscriptions and advanced digital literacy coaching, are gaining an unprecedented competitive edge. Conversely, students in under-resourced communities often grapple with outdated hardware, restricted internet bandwidth, and a lack of access to the most powerful models, which are increasingly sequestered behind subscription paywalls. Furthermore, AI tools are only as equitable as the datasets upon which they are built. Without proactive policy intervention, we risk cementing historical biases into the learning algorithms that guide our children’s academic futures. Bridging this gap requires more than just donating laptops; it necessitates a fundamental rethink of digital infrastructure as a public utility and a commitment to democratizing AI literacy. If we fail to address these access disparities now, the ‘AI revolution’ in education may paradoxically ensure that the highest levels of achievement remain locked behind the doors of privilege, leaving the most vulnerable further behind than ever before.