Artificial intelligence (Al) is increasingly having an impact on education, bringing opportunities as well as numerous challenges. These observations were noted by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers in 2019 and led to the commissioning of this report, which sets out to examine the connections between Al and education (AI&ED). In particular, the report presents an overview of AI&ED seen through the lens of the Council of Europe values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law; and it provides a critical analysis of the academic evidence and the myths and hype. The Covid-19 pandemic school shutdowns triggered a rushed adoption of educational technology, which increasingly includes AI-assisted classrooms tools (AIED). This AIED, which by definition is designed to influence child development, also impacts on critical issues such as privacy, agency and human dignity – all of which are yet to be fully explored and addressed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our lives in more ways than one. It has not just alerted us to the vulnerabilities of our health systems but also how ill-equipped our education systems are to cope with disruptions of this scale. When the pandemic forced schools to shut down and learners had to completely switch to online learning systems, the transition was anything but smooth. As part of the coordinated global education response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank conducted a Survey on National Education Responses to COVID-19 school closures. According to this joint report, 108 countries reported missing an average of 47 days of in-person instruction due to school closures - the equivalent to approximately one quarter of a regular school year – a long gap in the life of a student.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education today, innovate teaching and learning practices, and ultimately accelerate the progress towards SDG 4. However, these rapid technological developments inevitably bring multiple risks and challenges, which have so far outpaced policy debates and regulatory frameworks. UNESCO is committed to supporting Member States to harness the potential of AI technologies for achieving the Education 2030 Agenda, while ensuring that the application of AI in educational contexts is guided by the core principles of inclusion and equity. UNESCO's mandate calls inherently for a human-centred approach to AI. It aims to shift the conversation to include AI's role in addressing current inequalities regarding access to knowledge, research and the diversity of cultural expressions and to ensure AI does not widen the technological divides within and between countries.

An education system has an embedded responsibility to absorb, internalize, equip and sometimes orchestrate change. Change that is inevitable and necessary. The world as we experience today is on a perpetual continuum of redefinition, deconstruction and invention. Classroom management and pedagogy have been kept under close radars primarily to incorporate methodologies which brew conducive environments where the already shifted focus to student centered learning gains further profundity in synthesizing knowledge. Future advancement will invariably lead to Artificial Intelligence being an integral thread of the teaching and learning process.

The latest advance in AI technologies opens up new opportunities to tackle resistant issues and barriers in education, in order to accelerate the achievement of the Education 2030 Agenda. This is also a key message from President Xi's congratulatory letter to the Conference. Member States are aware of the potential of AI in education but promote strategic implementation at policy levels to varying degrees. While some countries already have national AI strategies and initiatives in place, some are still lagging behind, stalled at the awareness-raising stage. Some national pioneering practices reflected at the conference include China's'New Generation AI Development Plan', Japan's'Society 5', Slovenia's international AI research centre, and the EU's AI strategy.

UNESCO has published the Beijing Consensus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Education, the first ever document to offer guidance and recommendations on how best to harness AI technologies for achieving the Education 2030 Agenda. It was adopted during the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education, held in Beijing from 16 – 18 May 2019, by over 50 government ministers, international representatives from over 105 Member States and almost 100 representatives from UN agencies, academic institutions, civil society and the private sector. The Beijing Consensus comes after the Qingdao Declaration of 2015, in which UNESCO Member States committed to efficiently harness emerging technologies for the achievement of SDG 4. Ms Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO, stated that ''we need to renew this commitment as we move towards an era in which artificial intelligence – a convergence of emerging technologies – is transforming every aspect of our lives (…) we need to steer this revolution in the right direction, to improve livelihoods, to reduce inequalities and promote a fair and inclusive globalization.'' The Consensus affirms that the deployment of AI technologies in education should be purposed to enhance human capacities and to protect human rights for effective human-machine collaboration in life, learning and work, and for sustainable development. The Consensus states that the systematic integration of AI in education has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education today, innovate teaching and learning practices, and ultimately accelerate the progress towards SDG 4. In summary, the Beijing Consensus recommends governments and other stakeholders in UNESCO's Member States to: The Consensus also details its ambitions for UNESCO to act as a support system for the capacity building of education policy-makers to implement the recommended measures, and to act as a convener for financing, partnership and international cooperation together with other international organizations and partners active in the field of AI in education.

It goes without saying that artificial intelligence is changing the nature of industries from transportation to finance, and education is no different with the prospect of personalized learning quickly becoming a reality. As more and more of a student's education is experienced through a computer, data on their educational progress can be collected, leading to more personalized learning plans while assisting the teacher in identifying problem areas for students. While artificial intelligence in education might appear unnerving for some, the benefits are too great to ignore. There are few spaces in life that haven't been touched in some form by computer software. Whether it's shopping, dating, or just keeping up with old friends, everything we do seems to be mediated in some form by computers.

In current times, AI or machine learning is implemented in our life. Every teacher in the world uses either a computer or a laptop in order to improve the educational experience and boost productivity. This is the main benefit of AI. In current times, every student has a sterling opportunity to receive a personalized schedule. AI tools allow teachers to evaluate the skills and knowledge of their students and identify their merits and flaws.

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has had a huge influence on today's society, as ongoing discussions evaluate the impacts of creating machines and computer systems that can react and perform like humans. These systems can process information in a more cognitive way, making them capable of more human-like functions like learning, decision-making, and visual perception. Hollywood portrayals of hyper-intelligent robots taking over the planet might make artificial intelligence seem intimidating, but there is a lot that can be gained by through these advanced computer systems. Without the element of human error, intelligent machines are capable of unmatched precision and accuracy, and since they don't require fundamental human needs like oxygen or food, they can perform tasks with far fewer limitations. In fact, AI is already popping up everywhere in our daily lives – through social media recommendations, virtual assistants on our smartphones, and even self-driving cars.

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has had a huge influence on today's society, as ongoing discussions evaluate the impacts of creating machines and computer systems that can react and perform like humans. These systems can process information in a more cognitive way, making them capable of more human-like functions like learning, decision-making, and visual perception. Hollywood portrayals of hyper-intelligent robots taking over the planet might make artificial intelligence seem intimidating, but there is a lot that can be gained by through these advanced computer systems. Without the element of human error, intelligent machines are capable of unmatched precision and accuracy, and since they don't require fundamental human needs like oxygen or food, they can perform tasks with far fewer limitations. In fact, AI is already popping up everywhere in our daily lives – through social media recommendations, virtual assistants on our smartphones, and even self-driving cars.