“AI and Education: Human Agency in an Automated World“
The landscape of education is rapidly evolving, and at its forefront lies the transformative power of artificial intelligence. The theme for International Day of Education 2025, “AI and Education: Human Agency in an Automated World,” highlights a pivotal juncture. As AI tools become increasingly integrated into learning environments, crucial questions arise about the balance between automation and human agency. This exploration delves into how we can harness the potential of AI in education while ensuring that learners retain their critical thinking, creativity, and control over their educational journey in an increasingly automated world.
About AI in Education:
Artificial Intelligence has been at the forefront of Education in the UK recently with the release of the ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’ from the current government. As the third largest AI market in the world, the UK is home to pioneering AI firms like Google DeepMind, ARM, and Wayve. The Action plan aims to keep us ahead of the next phase in AI development so we are able to grow and shape growth as we move forward.
The DfE have been quick to respond to this by releasing their first AI policy which can be found here Generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education.
“What is generative AI:
Generative AI is one type of AI. It refers to technology that can be used to create new content based on large volumes of data that models have been trained on a variety of sources.
ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini are generative AI tools, built on large language models (LLMs). LLMs are a category of foundation models trained on large amounts of data, enabling them to understand and generate human-like content.
Tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini can:
- answer questions
- complete written tasks
- generate images, text or code
- respond to prompts in a human-like way
Other forms of generative AI can produce:
- audio
- simulations
- videos
AI is the defining technology of our age, and it is evolving at incredible speed. This technology has the potential to benefit the economy and meet societal challenges. This is not new, and we already use AI in everyday life for:
- email spam filtering
- media recommendation systems
- navigation apps
- online chatbots
Advances in technology mean that we can now use these tools to produce AI-generated content. This creates opportunities and challenges for the education sector.”
So what next?
As always, AMHIE will be available to talk about any hurdles you are facing and any press or media surrounding the subject and how things are progressing. The support from the DfE is all available through the government website but here are some useful links to get you straight where you need to be:
Plan technology for your school – Guidance to find out how your school can plan and use digital technology better.
Intellectual Property Office Online Support Tools – https://www.ipo.gov.uk/ip-support/welcome
Read about the Governments initiatives, plans and news – https://ai.gov.uk/
As AI increasingly permeates education, the focus must remain on empowering individuals with the skills to understand, navigate, and influence this technological shift. Education’s role is vital in ensuring that AI serves humanity, enhancing learning without diminishing human agency, critical thinking, and ethical considerations. Ultimately, this day underscores the need to cultivate a symbiotic relationship between human intellect and artificial intelligence in shaping the future of education. We hope that this gives you an overview, as always please contact us if you need any advice or support support@amhie.com or 02381 120010
The Team at AMHIE.
References:
I.AI. “The Incubator for Artificial Intelligence”. Government Digital Service within the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology. 2025
Intellectual Property Office. “Welcome to IPO’s online support tools. These have been designed to help you:” © Crown copyright Sept 2024
GOV.UK. “Plan technology for your school” © Crown copyright Sept 2024
United Nations. “AI and Education: Human Agency in an Automated World”. January 2025 https://www.un.org/en/observances/education-day
School of Education. “Artificial Intelligence In Education” American University, Washington DC. Sept 2024.