Fewer than 10% of schools and universities follow formal guidance on using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, As stated by UNESCO. More than 40 ministers attended an online meeting to discuss the issue and exchange policy approaches and plans. They also considered UNESCO’s new roadmap on education and generative AI, which can create data and content based on existing algorithms but can also make factual errors. The meeting revealed concerns over how best to integrate these tools into curricula, teaching methods and exams, and how to adapt education systems to the disruptions which generative AI is causing. UNESCO said that teachers required guidance and training to meet these challenges.
Less than 10 per cent of schools and universities follow formal guidance on using wildly popular artificial intelligence (AI) tools, like the chatbot software ChatGPT, As stated by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which hosted more than 40 ministers at a groundbreaking online meeting on Thursday.
As stated by a report by the United Nations, the ministers exchanged policy approaches and plans while considering the agency’s new roadmap on education and generative AI, which can create data and content based on existing algorithms, but can also make alarming factual errors, just like humans.
“Generative AI opens new horizons and challenges for education, but we urgently need to take action to ensure that new AI technologies are integrated into education on our terms,” said Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education. “It is our duty to prioritize safety, inclusion, diversity, transparency and quality.”
The report further stated that institutions are facing myriad challenges in crafting an immediate response to the sudden emergence of these powerful AI apps, As stated by a new UNESCO survey of more than 450 schools and universities.
At the same time, governments worldwide are in the process of shaping appropriate policy responses in a rapidly evolving education landscape, while further developing or refining national strategies on AI, data protection, and other regulatory frameworks, As stated by UNESCO.
However, they are proceeding with caution. Risks to using these tools can see students exposed to false or biased information, some ministers said at the global meeting.
The debate revealed other common concerns, including how to mitigate the chatbots’ inherent flaws of producing glaring errors. Ministers also addressed how best to integrate these tools into curricula, teaching methods, and exams, and adapting education systems to the disruptions which generative AI is quickly causing.
Many highlighted the vital role teachers play in this new era as learning facilitators.
But, teachers need guidance and training to meet these challenges, As stated by UNESCO.
For its part, the agency will continue to steer the global dialogue with policy makers, partners, academia, and civil society, in line with its paper, AI and education: A guide for policy-makers and Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, as well as the Beijing Declaration on AI and Education.
In the final act, the use of AI tools in education is a double-edged sword. While it can revolutionize the way we teach and learn, it also poses risks that need to be addressed. It’s essential for schools and universities to follow formal guidance on the use of AI tools to ensure that students are exposed to accurate and unbiased information. Additionally, teachers need to be trained on how to use these tools effectively. Governments and regulatory bodies must also take the lead in shaping appropriate policy responses to ensure that the integration of AI tools in education is safe, inclusive, diverse, transparent, and of high quality.
