UNESCO’s Libing Wang delves into the implications of generative AI in Asia-Pacific education, highlighting its potential benefits, ethical considerations, and strategies for responsible integration.
UNESCO’s Libing Wang delves into the implications of generative AI in Asia-Pacific education, highlighting its potential benefits, ethical considerations, and strategies for responsible integration.
The integration of generative artificial intelligence in education has emerged as a transformative force in the Asia-Pacific region, presenting both opportunities and challenges for educational systems.
However, the introduction of this technology is not without its complexities, as debates surrounding its role, concerns about ethical use, and disparities in readiness among countries in the region create a nuanced tapestry of opportunities and obstacles.
Opinions on the impact of generative AI in education diverge, with some seeing it as a tool for personalized learning and improved educational outcomes, while others express concerns about potential misuse, particularly in the context of cheating during exams and writing assignments.
The Asia-Pacific region, composed of countries with varying levels of technological readiness, faces the challenge of aligning policies, infrastructure, and training to ensure responsible and equitable integration.
Initiatives at both the national and institutional levels, guided by frameworks such as UNESCO’s AI Competency Frameworks, underscore the importance of understanding AI’s potential and limitations.
As the region grapples with these transformative shifts, there is a growing emphasis on cultivating a culture of responsible AI use, ensuring that both educators and students can navigate the evolving landscape while fostering critical thinking, adaptability, and ethical awareness.
In an exclusive interview with MSM Reporter, Dr. Libing Wang, chief of the Section for Educational Innovation and Skills Development at UNESCO’s Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand, shared key perspectives on the implications of generative AI in the Asia-Pacific education landscape. From the potential benefits, such as personalized learning and increased accessibility, to the risks of biases and digital disparities, the discussion delved into the nuanced challenges and opportunities associated with this transformative technology.
Wang also underscored the significance of empowering educators and learners with essential AI skills, spotlighting UNESCO initiatives that promote responsible and ethical AI use. He also recommended inclusive access and equitable implementation of generative AI in Asia-Pacific education.
About the impact of generative AI on education in the Asia-Pacific region, this technology has brought about one of the most significant transformations in education since the launch of the Education 2030 Agenda in 2015. At the same time, we should avoid a naive”technological solutionism” belief – AI will not and cannot solve all our problems, including those in education.
There are many opinions about the roles of generative AI in education. Some people believe it can help personalize learning and improve educational outcomes, while others worry that it could be misused for cheating in writing and exams or profoundly disrupt the social and cognitive dynamics in the classroom in the long term. So, it can be overwhelming to keep up with all the debates.
The countries in the Asia-Pacific region have different levels of readiness to integrate AI into education. While some countries like China and Singapore have established “AI in Education” policies and guidelines, others are still struggling to meet basic educational needs. To achieve widespread AI adoption, countries need not only policy frameworks but also reliable IT infrastructure, internet access, and teacher training.
One challenge is localization, as most generative AI models are trained primarily on Western data, which can lead to a lack of contextual and cultural relevance in the Asia-Pacific or even racial and gender biases that could condition the minds of the generations to come. Public-private partnerships can be a potential solution, but they are less common in lower-income countries.
It’s essential to prepare both teachers and students for the integration of AI into education. While some countries like China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore are already integrating AI-focused curricula for schools and advocating for the inclusion of AI components in teacher education, others are still making progress. The goal is to introduce AI and ensure educators have the necessary digital skills and AI literacy to guide responsible and ethical student engagement with generative AI tools.
The potential of generative AI in education is significant but requires a comprehensive, nuanced, and rights-based approach in Asia-Pacific. By balancing policy development, cutting-edge research, technology infrastructure improvement, teacher training, social dialogues, and cultural localization efforts, we can successfully integrate generative AI in educational settings, aligning with the broader goals outlined in the Education 2030 Agenda and the commitments of the 2022 Transforming Education Summit.
The integration of generative AI in education can bring both benefits and risks, and it’s essential to consider them carefully and critically. On the positive side, one significant benefit is the potential for personalized learning. Generative AI can adapt educational content to suit individual learning interests, pace, abilities, and styles, providing immediate feedback and support. This interactive process makes learning more effective and caters to diverse learning needs, including those of students with disabilities.
Generative AI also has the potential to make education more accessible and inclusive for learners with diverse needs. It can deliver high-quality learning resources to remote or underserved regions, overcoming geographical and socio-economic barriers. Plus, generative AI can be customized to support students with special needs, offering them tailored learning experiences through assistive functions and communication technologies.
Moreover, generative AI can empower teachers by saving time and acting as a partner in pedagogical innovation. Teachers can automate administrative tasks, streamline lesson planning, and receive assistance in creating engaging learning activities. This enriches the educational experience for teachers and students and allows educators to focus more on teaching and professional development.
However, integrating generative AI in education also brings significant risks. One such concern is the reliability and biases present in AI-generated content. Generative AI models trained on vast, unfiltered datasets with predefined algorithms may perpetuate biases, leading to culturally insensitive or biased content.
Another risk is the possibility of students over-relying on generative AI for assessments, potentially undermining the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The nature of generative AI is sometimes inaccurate and capable of generating hallucinatory data. Moreover, its use also has the potential to foster a homogeneity of opinions, hindering diversity and creativity in learning.
The digital divide poses a substantial risk, where students and schools with limited access to advanced technology or reliable internet connectivity may face disadvantages, creating inequities in competency levels and opportunities. On the other hand, those highly connected learners are also exposed to the misuse of their personal data for commercial gains, political profiling, and social surveillance.
To address these intricacies, it’s crucial to collect impact data systematically, monitor trends, and collaborate with government policymakers and other education stakeholders to make informed adjustments and stimulate social dialogues and public deliberations about the risks and advantages. Striking a balance between harnessing the potential benefits and mitigating the associated risks will be critical to the successful and equitable integration of generative AI in education.
Empowerment modalities can take various forms, and there is a global commitment to defining the essential consciousness and skills required to navigate the AI landscape. UNESCO is taking initiatives to make this happen, such as the Draft AI Competency Frameworks designed for Teachers and Students.
For educators, it’s crucial to have a deep and critical understanding of generative AI’s potential and limitations for successful integration. This understanding allows teachers to set realistic expectations, guide classroom use effectively, and evaluate content quality. With creativity, teachers can design engaging activities that align with educational objectives, while adaptability and open-mindedness are emphasized for embracing innovative instructional methods that leverage AI.
Similarly, students must be equipped with updated digital literacy skills to interact safely and effectively with generative AI. Critical thinking becomes essential in evaluating the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated content, and students must also develop adaptability and creativity to frame efficient prompts, iterate based on results, and generate new insights. Ethical awareness must be instilled in students to ensure their responsible use of technology, preventing misuse, and promoting AI development for societal benefit.
Various stakeholders are taking concrete steps to make this happen, such as UNESCO’s comprehensive Teacher Competency Framework for AI, which focuses on pinpointing essential skills for educators. Policy initiatives globally, including those in the Asia-Pacific region, emphasize AI education in teacher training programs and national curricula. At institutional and school levels, professional development opportunities are expanding to enhance educators’ skills in integrating AI into education.
These multi-level efforts can collectively empower both teachers and students with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate and leverage the evolving landscape of AI in education effectively.
We believe working with policymakers can help frame the education model we want for a technology-driven future and ensure equal access to AI and the critical skills to use it. To that end, we would like to suggest following UNESCO’s ‘Beijing Consensus on AI and Education’. This consensus recommends aligning AI policies with existing education policies, investing in AI implementation, and allocating resources to infrastructure, training, social dialogues, and capacity-building. By doing so, we can create a comprehensive approach that benefits all.
UNESCO’s strategies for AI in education cover technical, ethical, and inclusive aspects to address diverse learner needs. The role of teachers is pivotal, and UNESCO provides support through training and resources. Policymakers are advised to establish inclusive advisory groups for AI in education to assess AI’s impact and offer insights regularly. A centralized resource repository specific to the region can facilitate more equitable integration.
Governments should incentivize the development of localized, education-specialized generative AI to ensure equitable outcomes in the Asia-Pacific region. Regional coordination and cross-border dialogue are essential for establishing common standards that guide the responsible integration of AI in education.
Policymakers should actively support long-term impact research on generative AI, explicitly focusing on equity and outcomes. These measures can collectively lay the groundwork for the responsible use of AI, ultimately benefiting both learners and educators.
UNESCO held the first global meeting of Ministers of Education on May 25, 2023, to discuss generative AI in education. Key policy recommendations included national strategies, enhancing educational systems’ capacities, teachers’ professional development, adjusting copyright laws, and reflecting on curriculum, assessment, and data protection.
UNESCO’s guidance delves into understanding generative AI, its diverse technologies, and models. It identifies controversial ethical and policy issues and proposes measures for coherent, comprehensive policy frameworks. The guidance explores creative uses of generative AI in curriculum design, teaching, learning, and research activities, responding to country priorities and specific contexts.
I’m excited about how generative AI platforms can improve the learning experience for students. These platforms are fantastic because they help teachers create and implement better curricula that adapt to the ever-changing educational landscape and cater to diverse student needs.
Generative AI can analyze existing curricula and suggest updates, emerging topics, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities. Also, it can provide tailored suggestions to various educational levels so students can get the most out of their education.
With generative AI, students can critically analyze AI-generated content, which helps them understand the subject matter better and enhances their critical thinking skills. Additionally, generative AI helps create interactive scenarios, such as role-playing exercises, that can be used in language classes. These simulations allow students to engage in dialogues or debates with AI, providing a safe and personalized environment for language skill practice and presenting diverse conversational contexts.
These examples show how teachers have already used generative AI to create dynamic and personalized learning experiences. As educators continue to explore and adapt these technologies, more innovative applications are expected to be discovered, ultimately amplifying the effectiveness of teaching and learning processes.
UNESCO is the first UN agency whose member States adopted a first-ever global normative framework on the ethics of AI in 2021. That is the UNESCO Recommendation of the Ethics of AI that cautions us about “the new ways in which AI use influences human thinking, interaction, and decision-making and affects education, human, social and natural sciences, culture, and communication and information”.
Education is one crucial policy area where it is essential to use AI technologies thoughtfully and carefully to enhance learning while ensuring everyone involved is safe and their rights are respected. The Recommendation insists that the “relational and social aspects and the value of traditional forms of education are vital in teacher-student and student-student relationships”.
To help achieve this, several countries are taking proactive measures to oversee and regulate generative AI in education. This often involves setting up regulatory bodies or committees to ensure AI is used ethically and framed by human rights laws, working in conjunction with existing regulatory frameworks for education and technology.
As AI is inevitably entering classrooms, we need to ensure the tools introduced to support transparency with responsible disclosure of how decisions are being made. This means that users need to be able to understand and review AI-generated content so that its use in education settings can be trusted.
Another significant consideration is ensuring student data is collected and stored ethically, abiding by the laws on privacy protection. With generative AI systems processing a lot of user data, it’s essential to have strict privacy protection measures in place to ensure that data is being collected ethically, stored securely, and accessed only by those who need it for educational purposes.
As technology continues evolving, we must ensure that our policies keep up and that the users understand the implications for them and the next generations. This means regularly reviewing and updating our policies to make sure they’re still relevant and effective in the ever-changing world of generative AI in education. By taking these considerations seriously, we can integrate generative AI into education in a responsible and friendly manner, promoting positive and inclusive educational experiences for all.
In the Asia-Pacific region, educators are paving the way for the future of teaching and learning by exploring the limitless potential of generative AI in education. With two key strategies, they are empowering students to succeed in a constantly evolving world.
By prioritizing ‘human-centeredness’ in the use of generative AI tools, teachers are creating an educational experience that is personalized, engaging, and effective. By continuously assessing AI tools, they align AI use with pedagogical goals and ensure cultural sensitivity, ethical alignment, and effectiveness in meeting diverse student needs.
Through reimagining the essence and models of education and realigning teaching methodologies, educators are equipping students with the skills necessary to succeed in a future where collaboration with AI is commonplace. They are fostering a culture of ‘learning to learn,’ critical thinking, and adaptability – crucial skills for success in an ever-changing world.
These strategies are empowering educators in the Asia-Pacific region to harness the potential of generative AI in education and create a future of education that is dynamic, adaptive, and aligned with the evolving needs of all learners. By embracing these strategies, educators are making a difference in the lives of students and shaping a brighter future for all.
