Scotland's first AI teacher warns pupils: Don't trust everything it tells you To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Some teenagers are already using artificial intelligence to tackle homework, revise for exams and sharpen coursework. Others are steering clear of it completely. At one Scottish school, staff have decided that pretending AI doesn't exist is not an option. Mearns Castle High School in East Renfrewshire is believed to be the first school in the UK to appoint a dedicated principal teacher of AI literacy, creating a role focused entirely on helping pupils and staff understand the risks and benefits of the powerful new technology.

This report investigates the perceptions of teaching staff on the prevalence of student cheating and the impact of Generative AI on academic integrity. Data was collected via an anonymous survey of teachers at the Department of Information Technology at Uppsala University and analyzed alongside institutional statistics on cheating investigations from 2004 to 2023. The results indicate that while teachers generally do not view cheating as highly prevalent, there is a strong belief that its incidence is increasing, potentially due to the accessibility of Generative AI. Most teachers do not equate AI usage with cheating but acknowledge its widespread use among students. Furthermore, teachers' perceptions align with objective data on cheating trends, highlighting their awareness of the evolving landscape of academic dishonesty.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education told the Times the education secretary "has been clear about the government's appetite to pursue the opportunities - and manage the risks - that exists in this space, and we have already published information to help schools do this.