UNESCO Calls for Human-Centred Rules as AI Reshapes Education

A Ministerial Statement presented at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 8 September during Digital Learning Week 2026 calls for AI’s role in education to be decided through public discussion, clear accountability and firm protection of the rights of students and teachers.

Artificial intelligence may be changing classrooms at remarkable speed; education leaders are warning that technology must never replace the relationships, judgement and intellectual effort at the heart of learning. A Ministerial Statement presented at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 8 September during Digital Learning Week 2026 calls for AI's role in education to be decided through public discussion, clear accountability and firm protection of the rights of students and teachers.

The event, held under the theme 'Education in the age of AI: Facts | Frictions | Frontiers', brought together more than 1,500 participants in Paris and thousands online, including education ministers, students, teachers, researchers and technology industry representatives. Their discussions focused on a question facing education systems everywhere: how can schools and universities use AI's benefits without allowing commercial pressure, weak oversight or technological dependence to reshape learning without public consent?

AI Must Strengthen Thinking, Not Replace It

The statement recognises that AI can widen access to education, provide tailored support and help learners overcome certain barriers, yet these gains depend on skilled teachers, careful preparation and responsible governance. It stresses that learning suffers when AI replaces human relationships, reduces opportunities for students to think independently or weakens the professional judgement of educators.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Qun Chen described the statement as a call to protect the public interest, critical understanding, teacher agency and solidarity. Its message places decisions about classroom technology within the public sphere, making governments, institutions and providers answerable for how AI systems influence teaching, assessment, privacy and children's development.

The statement sets out eight priorities, including auditable AI systems, portable data and meaningful public oversight, even when tools reach schools through free subscriptions, donations or vendor agreements. It calls for AI products that encourage students to reason and complete genuine cognitive work, supported by stronger AI skills among teachers and learners through UNESCO's competency frameworks.

Teachers, Children and Data Need Stronger Protection

Teacher agency sits at the centre of the proposed approach. Education systems are encouraged to invest in preparation and professional development while giving teachers a real voice in deciding which AI tools enter their classrooms. Technology should support educators' knowledge and judgement rather than reduce their role or turn teaching into a set of automated decisions.

Children and young people also require safeguards suited to their age, abilities and educational needs, including the option to pause or discontinue an AI system when risks emerge. The statement treats students and teachers as rights-holders over their data and calls for their participation in decisions about technologies that collect, analyse or act upon personal information.

Equity must be built into AI from the beginning through multilingual and inclusive design, with systems tested across different languages, abilities and learning environments. Governments are also urged to calculate the full cost of adopting AI, including future maintenance, training, data management and dependence on individual suppliers. Interoperable, portable and open-source options can give education systems more freedom to change direction when a product no longer serves learners.

UNESCO Survey Reveals Concern About Student Thinking

A UNESCO survey released during Digital Learning Week shows how quickly generative AI has entered higher education. Among academics surveyed through the global network of UNESCO Chairs, 93% believed students were using generative AI to produce assignments, while 63% perceived a decline in students' cognitive abilities. Fewer than 1% supported a complete ban, only 2% favoured unrestricted use, and most respondents accepted AI for particular assignments or when students disclose its use.

The findings suggest that many educators are seeking practical rules rather than blanket prohibition. Two-thirds of respondents said guidance from their professional societies would be useful or very useful, reflecting demand for standards that help teachers manage real classroom situations without leaving them to navigate complex ethical and educational questions alone.

UNESCO's latest statement builds on its 2023 guidance for generative AI in education and research, its 2024 competency frameworks for students and teachers, and training efforts involving participants from more than 100 countries. The organisation has directly supported 58 countries in developing digital or AI competency frameworks, curricula and quality-assured training programmes.

AI providers are now being asked to demonstrate educational value before deployment, make their systems explainable and auditable, and accept responsibility when harm occurs. Working papers and expert studies released for public consultation will inform policy briefs planned for Digital Learning Week in March 2027, giving governments and education communities another opportunity to shape how AI enters the classroom.