The British government on Wednesday announced a £4 million ($5.2 million) project that is “the first of its kind” to develop artificial intelligence tools to help teachers plan lessons and correct homework.
The project will provide AI companies with government documents such as curriculum guidelines, lesson plans and student assessments to train their technology to “produce accurate, high-quality content such as customized, creative lesson plans and workbooks.”
The generative AI tools will help teachers correct work and create teaching materials, the science and education ministries said in a press release.
“Today’s world-leading announcement marks a huge step forward for AI in the classroom,” said Early Years Minister Stephen Morgan, part of the recently elected Labour government.
Science Minister Peter Kyle said the project aims to “reduce administrative burdens” and will “change the way we see and use public sector data”.
The project claims to have a “unique approach to processing government data for AI.”
The previous Conservative government had announced investments of £2 million in AI resources in education.
A government-commissioned study into public attitudes towards AI in education, published today, found that while respondents believed AI could help teachers, there were also concerns about over-reliance on the technology.
Parents and students “worried about the loss of important social and technical skills and the reduction in time spent in human contact, which could lead to unintended negative consequences,” the study said.
In recent years, British schools have been rocked by teachers’ strikes over real salaries, while at the same time struggling to retain enough teaching staff.
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