Guidelines being drawn up for teachers and other educators on use of AI in school

Education Minister Norma Foley announced that comprehensive guidelines are being drawn up to 'to provide an overarching awareness of the opportunities and risks and the factors that should be taken into consideration in using AI in a safe, responsible and ethical manner'.Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

Guidelines are being drawn up for teachers and other educators on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in school.

Education Minister Norma Foley announced that comprehensive guidelines are being drawn up to “to provide an overarching awareness of the opportunities and risks and the factors that should be taken into consideration in using AI in a safe, responsible and ethical manner”.

Discussions have taken place with other member states of the EU on the possible impact of AI on education in school settings, she said.

Work on the development of guidelines for the area are being undertaken by department officials, with the support of Oide, which provides support for teachers and school leaders.

She made the announcement ahead of the teachers’s conferences which take place this week, where AI and its impact on the education sector will be raised.

Last week, the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland published a survey of its members on Digital Technology and its impact on the working lives of teachers.

It found that:

• 22% said they use AI in their classroom and almost a third use it in their planning and preparation work.
• 91% of teachers surveyed want to know more about AI and education.
• More than 80% have concerns including data harvesting, the potential of AI to undermine professional teacher autonomy and increased teacher workload.

Ms Foley said: “As we continue to modernise and reform our curriculum and teaching practices, we need to be conscious of the rapidly changing world in which schools operate. We know that artificial intelligence is already changing the way that people live and work. 

"There is no doubt that AI has great potential to enhance education and inclusion but there are also many issues and challenges with its use. Education and training have a key role to play in ensuring that AI is used effectively and ethically and in line with data privacy legislation and guidelines.” 

"It is imperative that further research is conducted on the impact of digital devices on our classrooms and on their optimum use within our schools. This work has already begun and I look forward to its completion by the end of this year.”

She said it is important for both students and teachers to have “have the relevant digital skills to understand, navigate and interrogate its use effectively and ethically”.

She added that the views of teachers and school leaders “on matters including how to increase awareness of AI and data literacy among staff members and school leadership and what supports the system should offer, will help to inform the development of future policy in this evolving space".