Oxford University Press (OUP) has made recommendations for governments, as well as school leaders and education business leaders, to support the use of AI in schools and prioritise quality resources in education.

A new report from the publisher acknowledges that there is huge potential for AI to transform education, but emphasises that education should drive technology—not the other way around. It reveals that half (49%) of teachers are feeling unprepared for its impact and says more must be done to empower teachers and help them prepare their pupils for an AI-enabled future.

The publisher cautions that if the current education system does not adapt to the age of AI, pupils could experience inequalities in its implementation and risk being prevented from developing broader cognitive skills for the future, significantly impacting learning outcomes. It also warns that without proper consideration of the risks and impacts of AI or clear guidance on how to use it, teaching and learning standards could be affected during an inevitable—and necessary—period of experimentation.

The report includes existing research on the topic, supplemented with data from a survey of OUP’s global teacher network across the UK, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, Australia, UAE, and other countries. Key findings include:

  1. 88% of teachers would benefit from relevant insights and research on AI to be gathered in one place—indicating how a current overload of information on the topic could be overwhelming for time-poor teachers, and revealing the full extent to which AI is already part of education systems worldwide. 
  2. Half (47%) of UK teachers think their pupils are already using artificial intelligence in their schoolwork. This rises to 54% of teachers around the world.
  3. By contrast, only one third (35%) of UK teachers and 38% of teachers worldwide are using tools driven by machine learning themselves.

Drawing on the research, OUP has made recommendations for school leaders, education business leaders, and policymakers on how they can establish principles and regulation for use of AI in teaching and learning, including:

  1. Continuing to prioritise the role of the teacher as guide, advisor, and supporter, acknowledging that the ideal use of AI technology in schools is to support teachers, not replace them.
  2. Providing comprehensive support and guidance for teachers on how to use AI technologies safely and ethically. This could include introducing dedicated educational leads in AI within schools as well as training resources.
  3. Prioritising quality educational resources over free resources that could lower the quality of education.
  4. Embedding “uniquely human” skills, including critical thinking, creative problem solving, and digital literacy, across the curriculum, to ensure pupils are ready to navigate the challenges of an AI-powered world, such as increased exposure to misinformation.

The report also examines the different responses to the use of AI in education systems around the world. Some countries, like Italy, temporarily banned ChatGPT last year, while others are embracing the technology, with Spain the first country to establish an AI policy taskforce and China developing detailed regulations.

With such differences likely to continue due to local culture, policy and societal needs, OUP warns that this could exacerbate existing disparities between and within nations.

Next month, the UK will host the global AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park. OUP is calling on governments worldwide to consider education in future discussions around AI and take action to ensure teachers and pupils can use it safely, in a way that positively impacts teaching and learning.

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“Our research shows that teachers and pupils are optimistic about the role of AI in education and recognise how it has the potential to have a positive impact on learning. However, there are many unanswered questions and potential risks associated with this advancing technology. As more people start to adopt, embrace and experiment with AI, governments and education leaders need to take action—and quickly—to equip both pupils and teachers with the necessary skills so that they can thrive in an AI-enabled future,” Nigel Portwood, CEO, OUP, said.