Democratising AI in schools: ensuring policy keeps pace with technology
13 June 2025
Artificial intelligence is becoming a common feature in Australian classrooms, yet policies guiding its use have not kept up. A research project led by Professor Kalervo Gulson from the University of Sydney is working to make sure AI integration in education is fair, ethical, and shaped by the people who interact with it daily.
How AI is being used in schools
Funded by the Australian Research Council, the project Artificial Intelligence in Education: Democratising Policy examines how AI tools function in New South Wales public schools. One example is EduChat, an AI-powered chatbot developed by the NSW Department of Education.
“EduChat is among the first AI tools deployed at scale in Australian schools,” says Professor Gulson from the Sydney School of Education and Social Work. “However, policies around these tools often come from the top down, leaving a gap between policymakers and the educators who use these technologies.”
This research studies how teachers, school leaders, and administrative staff engage with EduChat daily. It also explores how they interpret existing policies and what support or expertise they need to use AI tools safely and effectively.
Making policy participatory
A key goal is to create more inclusive policymaking processes. Schools taking part in the study will join workshops to co-create resources and guidelines that promote ethical and equitable AI use.
“These workshops allow educators to actively shape AI policies,” Professor Gulson explains. “It shifts policy from something imposed on schools to something developed with their input.”
The research blends social science and data science methods to identify both opportunities and challenges presented by AI, from improving decision-making to addressing concerns about equity and workload.
A national, cross-disciplinary effort
The project unites experts from education, law, and technology, including Associate Professor Greg Thompson (QUT), Dr Jóse-Miguel Bello y Villarino (Sydney Law School), Professor Kirsty Kitto and Associate Professor Simon Knight (UTS), Professor Sam Sellar (University of South Australia), and Professor Marcia McKenzie (University of Melbourne).
Together, they are building tools to monitor education policy and developing collaborative methods for policymaking that could be applied across Australia and beyond.
One example is the Education and AI policy commons, which features a searchable database and detailed analysis of AI and education policies worldwide, highlighting key themes and trends.
“As AI technology advances, education systems need to be ready—not just technically, but socially and ethically,” says Professor Gulson. “This project ensures those most impacted by AI have access to policy knowledge and can participate in policy discussions.”
For those interested in how AI tools are shaping education and how to integrate them responsibly, exploring courses on AI in education could be valuable. Resources such as Complete AI Training’s latest AI courses offer practical insights into AI’s role across sectors.
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