An ethical AI expert warns of a ‘policy vacuum’ in UK schools, as the majority of schools have no AI rules despite near-universal use.
‘How is AI used in schools’ has reached breakout on Google Trends, with searches up over 5,000% compared to preceding year. A report by former head teacher and author on AI in education, Anthony Seldon, claims AI’s introduction into schools has been “chaotic and anarchic”, calling for the government to roll out a national framework by September next year.
The majority of young people (nearly 87%) already have experience using an AI tool, though, according to the Public First survey referenced by Anthony Seldon, surveying more than 4,000 people aged 11 to 24 in England.
The report claims England’s education system is trying to teach for an “AI-less world that no longer exists”, while less than 10% of young people actually believe schools and universities are preparing them for an AI world.
Despite widespread classroom usage, and three quarters (76%) of teachers using AI tools for day-to-day teaching (up from 53% last year), 49% of teachers told the National Education Union they have no policy whatsoever on AI, either for staff or students.
Ethical AI expert at Resolvable, Jonny Murphy-Campbell, warns of the critical threat of not having an AI framework, and leaving children and teachers to their own devices to implement and use AI without proper governance and human oversight: “AI use itself isn’t a threat to children or schools, and with governance and infrastructure it could be used as a tool to vastly improve education delivery, logistics, teacher marking and feedback and ultimately how children learn and perform. There’s an evident significant gap between the amount of students using AI compared to the amount of schools without a formal policy.
“This is where we have a policy vacuum in the education system, and while the UK government has not yet introduced mandatory national AI regulation for schools, it’s crucial that children are protected as well as set up for the real world – where AI is advancing rapidly – so they are equipped with the skills needed to use AI safely and effectively, like discernment and human judgement.”
The actual risk of using AI without framework
Jonny warns the danger lies in schools lacking infrastructure and not having rules for AI use: “Without a framework, you get a postcode lottery that creates unfair advantage and vision too. One school teaches pupils to question what AI tells them, while the school down the road has no idea it’s being used to write entire essays. The risk isn’t in the fact AI is dangerous, but the inconsistencies due to a lack of regulatory framework means everyone’s making it up as they go along. Children also can’t be consistently taught how to apply their own human judgement and discernment while using AI if it’s being used without policy.”
Jonny flags three blind spots schools are navigating blindly – pupil data and where it ends up, over-reliance on AI at the exact age pupils should be building independent thinking, and a widening gap between schools with the resources to build their own approach and those without.
“None of this requires AI to be banned or feared,” Jonny explains. “It requires someone to own the decision. Right now, in most schools, nobody does.”
An AI code of conduct schools can adopt today
AI regulation can’t wait while AI is already being widely used in the education system.
Jonny explains that we all have a personal responsibility to ensure AI is used merely as a tool to aid humans, without becoming over-reliant on it or replacing human judgement or unique skills and experience.
Here’s an ethical AI expert’s 5 ways to ensure AI is used ethically in this policy vacuum:
Make AI use visible
Whether AI is used shouldn’t be implied or assumed, and we need transparency around what AI is being used for and where. Pupils and staff should disclose when AI’s been used, rather than it being detected after the fact.
Protect the thinking, not just the results
AI should never be doing the learning for the student, only enhancing their ability to learn. Every time AI is used, schools should ensure it has no interference with children’s critical thinking or imagination.
Never let AI mark or provide feedback without human judgement
AI could be used as a tool to help teachers mark school work, but feedback must always be delivered by a human, and checked by a human. AI doesn’t have context, human nuance and judgement, or experience as a teacher. People must always oversee AI responses.
Treat pupil data like any other safeguarding issue
It is crucial that pupil data is never entered into LLMs, just like any other compliant and regulated sector like healthcare. Before using tools, ensure you know exactly what is done with the data and who can access that data before entering any information.
Teach discernment, not usage alone
AI usage requires discernment, a skill developed with maturity. Children must be taught – like with any other skill – that AI information is not gospel, and not always accurate. It’s crucial that if children are using generative AI, they must be old enough to understand its limitations and apply critical thinking.
