What these tools can and cannot do

Generative AI tools produce text, images or questions from a prompt. They are useful for drafting examples, suggesting quiz questions, or explaining a concept in simpler words. Some, such as Khan Academy's Khanmigo, are designed to guide students with questions rather than give answers directly.

They do not check facts reliably, and their output can contain mistakes or bias. A teacher should review anything AI produces before it reaches students.

For teachers, the most reliable uses are low-stakes and easy to check: drafting several versions of a reading passage at different levels, suggesting practice questions on a topic, or turning notes into a clearer handout. In each case the teacher stays responsible for accuracy and suitability. Many tools also have minimum age requirements in their terms, which schools should check before any student use.

Setting school rules

UNESCO's 2023 guidance on generative AI in education recommends a human-centred approach, attention to data protection and age-appropriate use. Many schools translate this into a short policy that staff, students and parents can read.

• Which tools are approved, and for which ages.

• When students may use AI, and how they must declare it.

• What personal data must never be entered.

• How teachers check AI-generated material before use.

A classroom activity

For students aged 14 to 16, run a 40-minute 'fact-check the machine' lesson. Materials: one device per pair, a short AI-generated paragraph on a history topic prepared by the teacher, and textbooks or approved sources. Pairs spend 20 minutes checking each claim and marking it correct, wrong or unclear. The last 20 minutes are a class discussion on what the tool got wrong and why checking sources matters.

Prepare the paragraph in advance with a few deliberate errors mixed in with accurate claims, and test it yourself first. Students often find it surprising how fluent and convincing an inaccurate answer can sound, which is the main point of the lesson.

Advice for parents and leaders

Parents can ask children to show how they used a tool and explain what they changed. Leaders should review privacy terms before approving any tool, plan staff training, and revisit the policy each year as the tools change.

Assessment design may need to change as well. Tasks that ask students to reflect on their own process, draft in class or explain their choices aloud are harder to complete with AI alone, and they give teachers a better view of what each student understands.

Key points

• Review all AI output before students see it.

• Publish a short, clear school AI policy.

• Never enter personal data into unapproved tools.

• Teach students to check AI claims against sources.

Photos: Wes Hicks, Soundtrap / Unsplash