As artificial intelligence and digital technologies increasingly shape educational systems, discussions often focus on innovation, efficiency, and technological adoption. However, less attention has been paid to how educational inequalities influence learners’ digital identities and their capacity to exercise agency in digitally and AI-mediated learning environments. This paper addresses this gap by examining how unequal access, skills development, opportunities for meaningful digital participation, and educational outcomes contribute to differentiated learner experiences in postdigital contexts.

The paper is based on a systematic literature synthesis drawing on education research, digital inequality studies, and critical technology scholarship. It integrates Biesta’s three purposes of education, Illeris’s theory of learning and identity transformation, van Dijk’s multi-level digital divide, socio-technical perspectives on digital identity, and critical digital literacy frameworks. Together, these perspectives support an understanding of artificial intelligence not as a neutral tool, but as a socio-technical mediator whose effects depend on pedagogical practices, institutional governance, and leadership decisions. A human–AI complementarity perspective is adopted to highlight how AI can either support or constrain learner agency under different educational conditions.

The analysis suggests that educational inequalities extend beyond material access to shape learners’ visibility, participation, and recognition in digital spaces, challenging persistent assumptions about “digital natives.” By foregrounding digital identity and agency as educational outcomes, the paper highlights the role of educational leadership in shaping human-centered and equity-oriented approaches to AI in education.