This thesis explores the applications, benefits, and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) in primary and secondary education. As AI technology advances, its integration into educational settings offers significant opportunities to enhance teaching and learning processes. This research focuses on how AI can be used to support personalized learning experiences and improve educational accessibility for students with diverse needs. Through a comprehensive literature review and analysis of a sampling of available AI tools for diverse academic applications, key findings include the effectiveness of AI in customizing learning materials and aiding educators through real-time analytics and curriculum development. Text simplification models have shown particular promise in making educational content more accessible, thereby supporting inclusive education practices. To this end, a text simplification model that uses a T5 backbone is developed to enable granular text simplification to specific grade levels, which has comparable performance with the current state of the art in such simplification. However, even with proven successes such as this, the integration of AI into education is not without challenges. Proper education on themes such as media and information literacy, ethical use of AI, and soft skills, must be addressed to ensure that AI tools are used responsibly and equitably. This study highlights the need for continued flexibility in adapting to the needs of educators and learners in a technologically evolving world.