The Ministry of Education has proposed new guidelines for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in classrooms.
The Ministry of Education today opened a public consultation on guidelines for the “responsible use” of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools, limiting the use of that technology to situations where it “contributes to expanding learning opportunities.”
The document “Artificial Intelligence in Education – Guidelines for the responsible use of AI in an educational context” will be open for public consultation for 30 days on the website of the Institute of Education, Quality and Evaluation (EduQA).
In a statement, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) explains that the proposal reflects a cross-cutting guideline: AI should only be integrated into education when it allows for “expanding opportunities for learning, participation and creation.”
On the other hand, it should not compromise the intellectual autonomy of students, the pedagogical decision-making and responsibility of teachers, equity in access and the safeguarding of rights.
AI use to depend on students’ age
Among younger children, AI is understood as a tool to support the work of preschool educators and not to be used by children.
With regard to elementary and secondary education, the use of AI – as a tool to support the understanding of content, exploration of ideas, organisation of knowledge, and problem-solving – should accompany the progressive development of students to understand the functioning and limitations of these systems.
The goal, explains the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MECI), is to "promote a critical and responsible relationship with technology and not dependence on automated responses," in which students are equally capable of identifying errors and biases, verifying information and sources, and making informed decisions.
Teachers to decide when AI can be used
According to the guidelines, it will be up to the teachers to define the conditions for the use of AI in each activity, but the document proposes three modalities for carrying out the tasks.
If the objective is to observe the student's autonomous performance, AI should not be a resource. In other tasks, it may serve as support, being used only for the purposes and stages defined by the teacher, or in an integrated way, when it is part of the task itself or constitutes an object of analysis and learning.
New tools to guide AI use in classrooms
The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MECI) also proposes a set of support instruments such as a traffic light system for the pedagogical use of AI, with conditions for the use of AI in different situations, and verification questions to assess whether AI contributes to the teacher's objectives with a given activity.
Indicating the use of AI in tasks is another of the proposed instruments, as well as the student's verification of a set of conditions before submitting a work and – for school administrations and services – the implementation of processes for the institutional evaluation of tools.
Data protection and student safety
The document also identifies the risks to be prevented, particularly in the areas of privacy, security, fairness, authorship and integrity of schoolwork.
Regarding data protection and security, the MECI emphasises that "the creation, manipulation or improper disclosure of false images, videos or audio recordings should be treated as a digital citizenship and security incident, which may justify, depending on the nature and severity of the situation, the application of the procedures provided for in applicable legislation".
The general outlines of the document now open for public consultation were presented on Monday to the Council of Schools and associations representing school principals from the public and private sectors, and an opinion was also requested from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
After the public consultation, the final version of the guidelines will be sent to schools starting in the second school term, on January 4, 2027.