This investigation explored the role of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered gamification on mathematics cognition through a mixed-methods design, blending an intervention with a gamified learning application (app) and a survey to evaluate student engagement and performance. The study explores the nexus of gamification, AI, and mathematics cognition through 71 students participating in an intervention using gamified app. It was designed to enhance both computational thinking and mathematical skills. Both multi-group partial least squares (MGAPLS) as well as artificial neural networks (ANN) through multilayer perceptron (MLP) were employed for data analysis. The findings showed a significant positive influence on not just class engagement, attitudes toward mathematics, but overall student performance. The developed model discerned indirect gender-related variations, which affirmed a transformative potential of gamification, particularly in preparing teachers for the AI-driven digital society. Consequently, the implication validates the transformative potential of gamification, teacher preparation for an AI-driven digital society. The implications concurrently emphasise integrating gamified elements into educational strategies. Such incorporations tend to benefit not just educators, curriculum developers, but policymakers as well. Thus, resonating the demands of the 21st-century teaching landscape.