A new institute has been launched today aimed at ending the “wild west” of artificial intelligence in education.
The new Institute for Ethical AI in Education (IEAIED) will have the goal of tackling the threat young people face due to the rapid growth of new technology, while making the UK a “world leader” in ethical AI for education.
The institute is being led by Sir Anthony Seldon, the former master of Wellington College who is now vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham; AI scientist Professor Rose Luckin; and Priya Lakhani, founder of the edtech company Century Tech.
Sir Anthony said: “We are sleepwalking into the biggest danger that young people have faced, eclipsing totally the risk of social media and other forms of digitalisation.
“The really frightening thing is that the government is not stepping up to the mark, and the tech companies are eating them alive, making shamefully high profits, preaching platitudes while infantilising our young and exposing them to great dangers.
“AI could be a considerable boon if we get the ethical dimension right but with each passing month we are losing the battle.”
Ethical implementation of AI
Professor Luckin said that “ethical, thoughtfully designed and implemented AI could save education”.
She added: “The solution is at our fingertips, if only we are able to ensure that the ethical vacuum of much of today’s commercial AI development is filled with the practices, moral values and ethical principles that will ensure society in all its diversity will benefit.
“Ethics must be ‘designed in’ to every aspect of AI for use in education, from the moment of its inception to the point of its first use.”
Ms Lakhani said: “We must make sure all learners and educators are protected from the risks that unethical use of AI in education could bring about.”
The IEAIED will be based at the University of Buckingham.
It will have an advisory board, composed of figures including Lord Clement-Jones, Sir Tim O’Shea, Geoff Barton, Sherry Coutu, Gi Fernando, David Puttnam, Fiona Boulton, Vivienne Durham, Lucy Heller, Alan Winfield, Essie North and Tes editor Ann Mroz.
