Phillipson to set out plans to use technology to ‘modernise’ education system
22 January 2025, 00:04
The Education Secretary is due to announce that tech firms have helped develop a set of expectations which AI tools should meet to be classroom safe.
Leading tech firms have helped to develop a set of safety expectations for artificial intelligence tools in the classroom, the Government has announced.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will set out plans to use technology to “modernise” the education system, support teachers and “deliver” for pupils.
In a keynote speech at ed tech event The Bett Show, Ms Phillipson is expected to say that using AI to reduce workload will help with teacher shortages.
She is due to tell the event in London: “Each great moment of technological change throughout history came with fears for an unfamiliar future.
“But I know AI can be a radical, modernising force for change, a force for good in the lives of working people and I am so excited for what it means for education.”
The Department for Education (DfE) is expected to announce that tech firms – including Google, Microsoft, Adobe and Amazon Web Services – have helped develop a set of expectations which AI tools should meet to be considered safe for classroom use.
The ‘AI Product Safety Expectations in Education’ framework sets out safeguards – including enhanced filtering of harmful content.
The DfE will also announce on Wednesday that all new teachers will be trained on the effective use of assistive technology to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).
Ms Phillipson will say: “The world of even five years ago is gone forever, now we must seize the opportunities of the future.
“We can hope for a brighter future for our children – delivered by a digital revolution in education.
“I will take up this great new technological era to modernise our education system, to back our teachers and to deliver better life chances for our children across the country.”
