Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. Therefore, we have to carefully its integration, deployment and use: eLC is supporting you and the community worldwide to ensure ethical and safe AI use in education and facilitate education about AI.

The concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is controversially discussed since the term was coincided in the 1950. Most important is to recognize that computers and machines are not “intelligent” but extremely quick in processing data and information.

The relation between AI and education (AI&ED) is broader than the simple use of AI in education (in short: AIED) and covers also the teaching and learning about AI (AI literacy) what is reflected in the overall abbreviation “AI&ED” combining both perspectives. And we have to regulate both aspects to define what we want to allow and what we should prohibit. Thus, our eLC Director Dr. Christian M. Stracke is very pleased to contribute to the international AI&ED regulation and to be member of the AI&ED Expert Group appointed by the Council of Europe that is addressing both perspectives.

In education, the learners are in a special situation, in particular in formal school education with the mandatory participation and most of them being not of legal age. And: Education is a human right (United Nations, 1948). In addition, education as right and mandatory teaching and learning of young children is guaranteed, protected and defined through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990). Furthermore, the Sustainability Development Goal no. 4 (SDG 4) demands to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (United Nations, 2015). Finally, education is not a product like any other delivery but a promise and learning process that cannot be predicted and pre-assessed (Stracke, 2019).

Therefore, we have to be very careful in discussing and reflecting the promising chances and potential threats of using AI in education and in general. We need international regulation and guidelines to facilitate ethical AI and education and to benefit from both, practical AI use in education (AIED) and innovative teaching and learning about AI (AI literacy). The first important step towards ethical AI&ED regulation is the development of an international convention as first European AI&ED law. Based on the mandate by all European Ministries of Education, the Council of Europe and its appointed AI&ED Expert Group are developing the instruments to implement and benefit from ethical AI and education. Our activities and first interim results of the AI&ED Expert Group were discussed in the interactive workshops at the leading international conference AIED: Have a look at the outcomes of the AIED 2023 Workshop and the AIED 2024 Workshop!

To continue and broaden these debates within our community, our eLC Director Dr. Christian M. Stracke has developed the German Network and the European Network on “Ethical use of AI”. Join our networks and community discussions to improve our future teaching and learning about and with AI – to strengthen our future citizens and the whole society!