Abstract
The gap between urban and rural areas continue to significantly affect educational equity in Romania, and the
recent digitization of the school has shifted the discussion from the lack of basic infrastructure to differences in skills, use
and capitalization of digital technologies. The article analyzes the evolution of digital and educational inequalities in
Romania and discusses to what extent artificial intelligence can become, in the medium term, a tool to reduce these gaps,
not just a new source of polarization.
Methodologically, the research combines three components: a critical analysis of the literature published between
2010 and 2026, a Romania-European Union comparative analysis based on Eurostat indicators on the use of the internet
and generative artificial intelligence tools and a bibliometric co-occurrence analysis carried out in VOSviewer based on
data extracted from Scopus. The selected indicators track both digital access and functional use of the internet for
educational, professional and social activities, respectively the use of generative AI for private, professional and
educational purposes.
Although the frequent use of the internet is relatively close to the European average, gaps are becoming visible in
the area of digital skills, participation in online courses and the use of AI for formal education, which supports the existence
of a secondary digital divide and outlines the emergence of a new "AI divide".
In this context, the article argues that artificial intelligence can only contribute to reducing educational inequalities
if it is supported by coherent public policies, investments in infrastructure, teacher training and the development of digital
and algorithmic literacy among students.
recent digitization of the school has shifted the discussion from the lack of basic infrastructure to differences in skills, use
and capitalization of digital technologies. The article analyzes the evolution of digital and educational inequalities in
Romania and discusses to what extent artificial intelligence can become, in the medium term, a tool to reduce these gaps,
not just a new source of polarization.
Methodologically, the research combines three components: a critical analysis of the literature published between
2010 and 2026, a Romania-European Union comparative analysis based on Eurostat indicators on the use of the internet
and generative artificial intelligence tools and a bibliometric co-occurrence analysis carried out in VOSviewer based on
data extracted from Scopus. The selected indicators track both digital access and functional use of the internet for
educational, professional and social activities, respectively the use of generative AI for private, professional and
educational purposes.
Although the frequent use of the internet is relatively close to the European average, gaps are becoming visible in
the area of digital skills, participation in online courses and the use of AI for formal education, which supports the existence
of a secondary digital divide and outlines the emergence of a new "AI divide".
In this context, the article argues that artificial intelligence can only contribute to reducing educational inequalities
if it is supported by coherent public policies, investments in infrastructure, teacher training and the development of digital
and algorithmic literacy among students.
Cuvinte cheie
digital inequalities
educational inequalities
artificial intelligence
rural
urban
accounting education
Istoric articol
Publicat
26.06.2026
Informații autori
Citare recomandată
MARIA PINTI (2026). DIGITAL AND EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITIES BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS IN ROMANIA: CURRENT CHALLENGES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. Constantin Brâncuși University of Târgu Jiu Economics Series, 1(3), 453–465. https://doi.org/10.65631/jes.3.2026.43
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