UNESCO Trains Policymakers in AI for Digital Education Future

Published Date : 3/10/2025 

UNESCO's Digital Learning Week featured a training session that equipped education policymakers with the tools and confidence to lead AI-driven innovation in education, emphasizing ethical design and real-world needs. 

During UNESCO’s Digital Learning Week, a dynamic training session titled “AI in Action: Project-based Learning for Education Policymakers” tackled the pressing questions surrounding the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. The workshop aimed to equip participants with the tools and confidence to lead AI-driven innovation while keeping human rights, equity, and real-world needs at the core.

Participants gained a foundational understanding of AI systems, their governance, and their application in education. The session emphasized ethical design, data quality, and the importance of aligning technology with real educational needs. Through interactive lectures and group work, policymakers explored each stage of the AI project cycle—from identifying problems and assessing feasibility to designing, testing, and implementing solutions.

Three central messages emerged from the group discussions:

1. AI must be purposeful and contextual. Successful implementation in education requires clear goals and must be tailored to learners, teachers, and institutions. Participants stressed that technology should support education priorities, not dictate them.

2. Teachers’ involvement is crucial. Educators need to play an active role in developing and adapting AI tools to ensure they are aligned with curricula, teaching practices, and student realities.

3. Data access and quality are central. While strong data ecosystems are critical for AI, public education actors often face access challenges, particularly when data is held by private platforms.

Through collaborative exercises, participants reflected on what it takes to design effective AI solutions. Discussions covered identifying users, training facilitators, and adapting curricula, with personalized learning and workload reduction for teachers emerging as particularly promising applications. One participant highlighted a creative use case: an AI-powered tool that helps students identify plants and animals during nature walks, transforming outdoor exploration into a live learning experience.

The training combined modules on AI fundamentals, education use cases, and collaborative policy planning. With practical group activities, policymakers mapped out AI entry points for education systems and applied a structured development cycle—covering needs assessment, data evaluation, model selection, and implementation planning. This hands-on approach fostered peer learning and emphasized practical application of concepts.

As UNESCO advances its work on supporting digital transformation in the public sector, this session marked an important step toward human rights-based and inclusive AI adoption in education. Digital Learning Week once again reaffirmed the need to equip policymakers with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to lead change—ensuring that innovation strengthens equity, quality, and long-term impact in education around the world.

The Workshop was organized by UNESCO Communication and Information Sector’s AI for the Public Sector Programme. Launched in 2021, UNESCO’s Programme on AI and Digital Transformation for the Public Sector aims to help governments develop institutional capacity for human rights-based digital transformation. The programme supports civil servants in designing transparent, efficient, and inclusive AI-powered public services.

In 2022, UNESCO introduced its globally recognized Digital Competency Framework, published in Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation: Competencies for Civil Servants. This framework has been used to shape institutional digital transformation strategies in Nigeria and Rwanda, while UNESCO's Digital Competency Framework has been adapted by public institutions in the European Union and India into own competency frameworks. Overall, the programme has reached 50 countries. Upcoming initiatives include a Global MOOC on Digital Transformation and AI, a Repository of AI Tools for the Public Sector, as well as global and national trainings for civil servants.

Through initiatives and partnerships like these, UNESCO continues to lead efforts toward human rights-based innovation that empowers governments to deliver meaningful change for their citizens—one step closer to a digitally inclusive future. You can sign up here to receive updates about it. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the main goal of UNESCO's AI training for education policymakers?

A: The main goal is to equip education policymakers with the tools and confidence to lead AI-driven innovation in education while ensuring ethical design, data quality, and alignment with real educational needs.

Q: Why is teachers' involvement crucial in AI implementation in education?

A: Teachers' involvement is crucial because they need to play an active role in developing and adapting AI tools to ensure they are aligned with curricula, teaching practices, and student realities.

Q: What are some key challenges in data access for AI in education?

A: Key challenges include the lack of access to strong data ecosystems, particularly when data is held by private platforms, which can hinder the effective implementation of AI in education.

Q: What are some promising applications of AI in education mentioned in the workshop?

A: Promising applications include personalized learning, workload reduction for teachers, and creative use cases like AI-powered tools that help students identify plants and animals during nature walks.

Q: What is UNESCO's Digital Competency Framework?

A: UNESCO's Digital Competency Framework is a globally recognized guide published in 2022 that helps shape institutional digital transformation strategies. It has been used in countries like Nigeria, Rwanda, the European Union, and India. 

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