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Since ChatGPT pushed generative artificial intelligence into the public awareness in late 2022, many journalists and ministers of education have asked me: “Is digital technology a good or a bad thing for education?”

The answer is complex. Technological change is inevitable: Six hundred years ago, the print press revolutionized the way we transmitted knowledge. Radio, television, personal computers, the Internet and social media opened new horizons for education but have also been a source of concern. Each disruption needs to be carefully evaluated to ensure that they benefit teachers and learners.  

Digital technology provides real opportunities. It can help reach the most marginalized learners, those with disabilities, or those from linguistic and cultural minority communities. It can facilitate the delivery of more personalized learning and allow for more flexible school systems. And it can be used to overcome boundaries of place and time to create immersive learning experiences.

However, there are dangers too. Digital poverty is worsening with each new technology. A staggering 31 per cent of students globally were unable to access online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The spread of misinformation and hate speech is on the rise and online resources ignore 95 per cent of living human languages. Generative AI, with the power to imitate human capabilities to produce text, images, videos, music and software codes, is even forcing us to redefine the uniqueness of human intelligence, with far-reaching implications for what, how and even why we learn.

We must not only look at what is happening today with these technologies but also project ourselves 20 or 30 years into the future. How do we balance the need to equip young people for a human-machine society, without undermining the human mind as we outsource certain cognitive functions?  We cannot afford to experiment on a whole generation. 

Digital innovations can – and must – be designed to protect human agency. This is why UNESCO is urging caution while regulation, teacher training and curricula are put in place to protect our learners and education systems. As our 2023 Global Monitoring Education Report concluded: Some technology supports some learning in some contexts. And technology must never replace well-trained, human teachers who guide their students in their holistic development, as individuals and members of society. To unlock the promise of digital opportunities for all, we must steer technology in education on our terms, guided by the principles of inclusion, equity, quality and accessibility.

Stefania Giannini
UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education