Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan have hosted a roundtable on the potential for technologies including AI in the education sector.
The Cabinet Office said the event, which took place yesterday, brought together teachers, education professionals and technology companies to discuss how the technologies can be leveraged to boost education outcomes for British children.
Attendees included Michael Lynas, UK country director of language learning app provider Duolingo, Sir Anthony Seldon, headteacher of Epsom College and co-founder of AI in Education, Gemma Gwilliam, head of digital learning, education and innovation at the Portsmouth Education Partnership, and Anna Artemyeva, UK and Ireland lead of Google for Education.
They considered the challenges of AI, the need for robust evidence, and the importance of safe usage. This includes the need to set standards, ensure essential technology infrastructure is in place, and support education institutions to equip themselves to mitigate the risks of implementing new technologies.
The session reportedly reinforced the importance of government, technology experts, teachers and education leaders working together to safely transform education in a way that puts students first.
Embracing opportunities
The Cabinet Office said that research conducted by the Department for Education (DfE) over the past year has shown that educational professionals are already embracing the opportunities offered by AI, such as reducing the time teachers spend on administrative jobs and giving them more time with pupils.
The DfE has invested £2 million in Oak National Academy to create new teaching tools using AI, and the results of a hackathon hosted by the DfE in November, in collaboration with Faculty AI and the National Institute of Teaching, will be published in due course.
Dowden said: “Rapidly advancing technologies, including AI, are going to change the way we live and work. That is why we are listening to and working with the sector on what technology means for education, to understand how we can draw on the advantages of AI to benefit pupils and teachers.
“Having the right safety measures and controls remains an utmost priority, and we are already at the forefront of AI safety, convening the world for the first global safety summit last year.”
Risks and challenges
Keegan said: “Artificial intelligence is already changing the way we work and learn, but we need to understand its risks and challenges.
“Bringing together tech experts in the field with teachers and education leaders is crucial if we are to take advantage of this emerging technology, and I look forward to hearing from those on the ground about how we can continue to lead the way in our approach to AI in education.”
Name of Duolingo representative changed on 18.4.24 pm after correction to original statement
