A new report from OpenAI, titled 'Responsible AI in Education,' is calling on governments and educational institutions to prioritize teacher training and establish clear classroom guidelines. The report follows research by ThinkYoung which suggests that student engagement with artificial intelligence for academic tasks is outpacing formal institutional oversight.
According to the ThinkYoung survey, which polled 5,000 secondary school students aged 13 to 19 across 10 European nations between April 14 and May 15, 2026, roughly 79% of students use AI for homework. However, only 47% reported receiving instruction from teachers on how to utilize these tools effectively. The survey results, sourced from the EdTech Innovation Hub (https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/openai-calls-for-teacher-training-as-student-ai-homework-use-outpaces-guidance), highlight a disconnect, as students without formal guidance were found twice as likely to use AI to complete their assignments entirely compared to their peers who received instruction.
George Osborne, Head of OpenAI for Countries, stated that the organization’s goal is to leverage AI to enhance student understanding and creativity while providing educators more time for individual attention. Currently, the adoption of AI in schools remains inconsistent. While 75% of surveyed students reported discussing the challenges of AI with teachers, only 35% were taught how to identify potential bias or factual errors within AI-generated outputs.
Teachers are also actively using AI, with 80% of 600 surveyed educators across 12 countries, including Kenya and the United Arab Emirates, utilizing the technology for workload support. Despite this, 62% rely on personal accounts rather than institutional systems. Teachers identified privacy and security concerns as their primary barriers to broader integration, followed by a lack of clear school-level guidance.
OpenAI’s 'Responsible AI in Education' report outlines five priorities for global education systems: defining educational goals, focusing on educator preparation, utilizing local expertise, fostering critical AI literacy, and gathering credible evidence. The report draws on pilot partnerships, such as Estonia’s 'AI Leap' program and frameworks in Greece, Slovakia, and Italy. OpenAI is also working with the University of Tartu and Stanford’s SCALE to develop a 'Learning Outcomes Measurement Suite' designed to independently assess the impact of AI on student retention and critical thinking, noting that current measures of time-saving do not necessarily correlate with improved learning outcomes.
