Are Governments Failing Schools When It Comes To AI?

The British historian and educator Sir Anthony Seldon has issued a blunt warning about AI and schools. His comments were directed at the UK government but could easily be applied to government education departments across the US and beyond.Seldon and the British venture capitalist Tim Bunting have argued that schools are preparing children for a disappearing world and something needs to change. In response, the UK government outlined all the measures and policies it has introduced in reaction to growing artificial intelligence use in education.This is not a simple argument of “You are not doing enough” versus “We are, look at what we’ve done.” They can both be right, and I think that distinction matters enormously if we are going to address the AI in education question meaningfully.A school system can take AI seriously, do quite a lot about it, and still leave the central question unanswered: what should school look like when a student can ask a machine for help with almost anything?What The Seldon Report FoundThe report published September 22, Britain’s Greatest Education Opportunity Ever, draws on a Public First survey of 4,021 people aged 11 to 24 in England, conducted in August. Some 87% had used an AI tool. Only 9% thought schools and universities were preparing them very well for a world with AI. Asked whom they trusted to check a fact, 47% chose AI and 21% chose a person.If schools treat AI as a “temporary contaminant to be fenced off,” the authors warn, their legitimacy may erode. In comments reported by Tes, Seldon called education “Britain’s Cinderella sector” when it comes to technology. Many teachers will recognize the feeling of being asked to respond without enough time or clarity.The authors propose a rapid response unit and an AI strategy for every school and college by September 2027. They want Ofsted, England’s school inspectorate, to downgrade institutions that fail to act. They also propose a small number of secure exams alongside work in...