UK schools ‘bewildered’ by AI and do not trust tech firms, headteachers say

‘AI is moving far too quickly for the government or parliament alone to provide the real-time advice schools need,’ the letter read. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Schools are “bewildered” by the fast pace of development in artificial intelligence and do not trust tech firms to protect the interests of students and educational establishments, headteachers have written.

A group of UK school leaders have announced the launch of a body to advise and protect schools from the risks of AI, with their fears not limited to the capacity of chatbots such as ChatGPT to aid cheating. There are also concerns about the impact on children’s mental and physical health as well as the teaching profession itself, according to the Times.