Digital Education Action Plan – Action 6
Artificial intelligence is becoming more present in everyday education, from tools to learn new languages to course support and lesson preparation. AI offers major opportunities, but also raises ethical, legal and pedagogical questions.
Why these guidelines matter?
The European Commission provides these updated guidelines to address:
- significant increase of AI usage in education
- introduction of regulations like the AI Act, which require careful compliance
- growing need for ethical and critical AI literacy
Who are they for?
The guidelines offer practical support for teachers and educational staff, mainly working in primary and secondary levels of education.
Whether you are just beginning to explore AI and data or have advanced digital skills, these resources will help you:
- build confidence: empowering you to make informed, context-based ethical decisions
- enhance skills: helping you leverage AI’s benefits while identifying and managing potential risks
- increase awareness: providing the knowledge you need to handle data and AI ethically in your practice
What you will find in the guidelines
The latest version provides practical help you can apply directly in your work settings:
- Guiding questions and scenarios with practical tools and examples for classroom and school settings.
- Core principles and legal context, including clear explanations of the AI Act, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the principles of responsible AI use
- An updated glossary with clear definitions of AI and data terms that explain why they matters in educational practice.
- Background resources: technical definitions, reference frameworks and policy context for those who wish to dive deeper.
How will the guidelines help in your teaching practice?
Watch and learn about the potential benefits and hidden risks of AI and data use in school.
Timeline
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2022 - first publication
The first publication of the guidelines was developed by the European Commission’s Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence and Data in Education and Training, with feedback from educators and experts.
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2026 - guidelines update
The update was prepared by the Working Group on the Ethical Use of AI and Data in Education, convened through the European Digital Education Hub. (First available in English, followed by translations in all EU languages)
Funding
Through Erasmus+, the Commission provides ongoing support for grassroot projects on AI and data in education.