Arabic version: منظمة أيرو تدعو إلى استخدام حذر للذكاء الاصطناعي في المدارس

According to ABC News, the Australian Education Research Organisation has advised teachers, school leaders and policy makers to use artificial intelligence sparingly, warning that excessive use could harm students’ long-term learning. AERO, Australia’s national education research body, reviewed studies in Australia and overseas as schools adapt to rapidly advancing technology.

AERO chief executive Dr Jenny Donovan said AI could disrupt learning by becoming a distraction or a crutch. She said students may appear to be learning while relying on technology to complete thinking tasks, and overseas studies showed some students could not replicate results in exam settings when the technology was removed.

Dr Donovan described the risk as “cognitive outsourcing”, where a tool does the thinking for a student. She said novice learners need to do enough thinking for themselves to build the knowledge needed to become independent, creative and critical thinkers. Students need foundational knowledge embedded in long-term memory, she said.

The organisation said AI should be avoided completely during the first three years of primary school. After that, it should be used carefully alongside established teaching approaches such as explicit instruction. Dr Donovan said AI should be introduced in high school because it will be part of later higher education.

She pointed to generative AI tools developed by some jurisdictions, including NSW, that guide students through reasoning rather than simply producing answers or essays. Dr Donovan also warned parents against giving children “unfettered access” to tools such as ChatGPT at home.

The advice follows growing concern about education technology and classroom screen time. Education Minister Jason Clare said students who use screens a lot score lower in PISA results than those who do not, while stressing that students still need digital skills, including knowing how to use and not use AI.