UNESCO Issues First Guidance On Generative AI Use In Education, Urges Regulation And Ethical Practices
UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has published its inaugural set of guidelines on the utilisation of Generative AI (GenAI) in education. These guidelines, released on Thursday, come as a response to the rapid proliferation of AI-powered educational tools and the challenges they pose to the traditional education system.
One of the key recommendations put forth by UNESCO is the urgent need for governmental regulation of GenAI usage in educational settings. The organisation emphasised the importance of protecting data privacy and implementing age limits for GenAI users, especially to shield younger students from potential risks associated with the technology.
GenAI chatbots, such as ChatGPT developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, have witnessed unprecedented growth since their launch in November. These chatbots can generate a wide array of content, from essays to complex mathematical calculations, with just a few prompts. Notably, the popularity of GenAI among students has surged, leading to the development of competitors like Google's Bard.
Stefania Giannini, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Education, voiced her concerns to Reuters about the pace at which the education system is adapting to the rapid advancement of machine learning models. She noted that governments and educational institutions are embracing a technology that even leading technologists may not fully comprehend.
UNESCO's 64-page report highlighted the necessity for government-endorsed AI curricula to be integrated into school education and technical and vocational training programs. The guidelines stressed that GenAI providers must take responsibility for ensuring adherence to ethical principles and lawful purposes. Moreover, these providers must actively prevent the dissemination of disinformation and hate speech.
In India, Wipro recently unveiled a centre of excellence focused on generative artificial intelligence, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT Delhi). This centre has been established within the premises of the Yardi School of Artificial Intelligence at IIT Delhi, and its primary objective, as stated in an official announcement, is to facilitate applied research in the field of generative AI. The overarching goal of this initiative is to foster and enhance research and development capabilities across various emerging domains, including generative AI, and subsequently connect promising individuals with a talent pool.
During an event in March, Ren Ito, Chief Operating Officer at Stability AI, voiced optimism about India's potential. Ito suggested that AI could function as a kind of educational partner, noting that India's educational system grapples with a low student-to-teacher ratio, necessitating a greater number of educators. However, with more than 80 percent of children having access to smartphones in India, there is an opportunity to transform education through the integration of AI.
Meanwhile, UNESCO's guidance also sought to safeguard the rights of teachers and researchers, preserving the value of their practices when incorporating GenAI into educational settings.
Crucially, UNESCO called for the cautious use of GenAI, particularly in cases where its implementation might deprive learners of opportunities to develop essential cognitive skills and social abilities through real-world experiences, experiments, discussions with peers, and independent logical reasoning.
China has already formulated regulations governing GenAI use, while the European Union's AI Act is reportedly nearing approval later this year. In contrast, many other countries lag behind in developing their own AI-related legislation.
(Inputs from Reuters)
