Artificial intelligence is changing how we learn and teach, with AI in education opening up new possibilities as well as new challenges. But with no standard blueprint to follow, there are plenty of issues for schools to tackle. JEROME BARTY of education consultancy BartyED shares his thoughts on the topic.
We all know how useful generative AI tools like grammar checks, plagiarism checks and citation tools can be. But the question of their usefulness in a school context raises some concerns.
With earlier technological advancements (microscopes and computers, for example), students had to learn how to use the tools correctly to achieve any results. If you don’t mount a slide correctly on a microscope, you can’t see anything. AI is different: it still produces seemingly useful outputs even when used poorly. There’s no room to learn by failing, which is an essential part of children’s development. There’s a risk that students learn to rely on AI without developing the resilience to learn from trial-and-error.
Hong Kong schools recognise, as do we at BartyED, that it’s impossible to put the AI genie back in the bottle, so they are valiantly drafting and revising school-wide policies to regulate its usage. Often this involves complex frameworks classifying the differing extent to which AI can or cannot be used.
The approach, however, requires students to judge their own use of AI; how much is too much? The end result may be that a teacher spends more time policing complex degrees of AI usage in students’ work rather than actually teaching. A simpler approach might be stating that AI is “allowed” or “not allowed”.
Challenges of artificial intelligence at schools
The impossibility of regulating AI usage has some unfortunate outcomes. We’ve had students at IB MYP level encouraged to use AI as a research tool, or to provide commentaries on its output – the idea being to ensure that students have adequate understanding of AI’s functions and potential. Yet, these policies are typically reversed at the IB Diploma or A-Levels stage, where AI usage is punished severely by both exam boards and internally in schools. This contradictory, changeable picture can confuse students, teachers and parents alike.
Each year, we see a small number of students incorrectly accused of AI-related academic dishonesty on assignments. This can have a negative impact on a student’s self-esteem and school performance. Unfortunately, it happens most frequently with IB Diploma students who have a genuine interest in an academic area and have gone above and beyond in their research.
I sympathise with classroom teachers and DP coordinators being forced to police student AI usage; it’s really not their job. If schools are going to have different AI policies across different year groups, teachers and even assignments, then we need to prepare our students to complete any assignment at a high standard without its help. Wouldn’t it just be easier if we had formal assessments written by hand or on air-gapped (offline) computers?
Going forward for AI in education
Generative AI has made great advancement over the past five years, but I would argue that its usefulness in a school context is still limited. It’s interesting to note that the IBDP Extended Essay from 2027 onwards contains clearer, more stringent guidelines that limit AI use. It’s unlikely that it will be banned entirely – we must be realistic about student curiosity towards a new toy – but the organisation seems to be leaning towards discouraging its use for any assessment. Schools are starting to crack down more heavily on AI use, too. Some may potentially impose an outright ban or change the nature of coursework and external assignments altogether.
The wider issue, of course, is that the merits and viability of AI as an education tool are still being debated in academic circles – and its long-term effects on academic development are unknown.
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This article on artificial intelligence or AI in education first appeared in the Autumn 2026 issue of Expat Living magazine. You can buy the latest mag or an annual subscription, or read the digital version for free now.
