The U.K. government has announced a £4 million project aimed at enhancing artificial intelligence’s ability to assist teachers with marking work and planning lessons. This initiative, revealed today, seeks to leverage AI technology to ease administrative burdens on educators and improve classroom efficiency.
At the heart of the project is a new content store that will aggregate government documents, including curriculum guidance, lesson plans, and anonymized pupil assessments. AI companies will use this data to train their tools, with the goal of generating accurate, high-quality content such as tailored lesson plans and workbooks for use in schools.
The initiative comes in response to research indicating parental support for the use of generative AI to free up more time for face-to-face teaching. However, both teachers and AI developers have highlighted the need for better data to improve the functionality of these technologies.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized the project’s potential to “ease admin burdens and help [teachers] deliver creative and inspiring lessons every day, while reducing time pressures they face.” Meanwhile, Minister for Early Education Stephen Morgan described the announcement as “a huge step forward for AI in the classroom.”
The government is allocating £3 million to the content store, which represents a novel approach to processing government data for AI. An additional £1 million will be awarded to AI companies that present the best ideas for applying this data to reduce teacher workload. Winners will be tasked with developing AI tools specifically for feedback and marking by March 2025.
The initiative also includes a partnership with the Open University, which will contribute learning resources to the project. Recent tests by the Department for Education have shown that providing generative AI models with this type of data can increase accuracy from 67% to 92%.
While nearly half of teachers are already using AI in their work, according to a survey by TeacherTapp, current tools lack specific training on English teaching methodologies. The new content store aims to address this gap by offering AI companies access to high-quality, evidence-based educational materials.
Chris Goodall, Head of Digital Education at the Bourne Education Trust, shared his positive experiences with AI in education, noting its ability to create personalized learning experiences and reduce preparation time. Ian Cunningham, CTO of TeachMate, an AI tool provider for teachers, expressed enthusiasm for the project’s potential to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of educational AI tools.
The Department for Education has also committed to publishing a safety framework for AI products in education later this year, underscoring the government’s focus on responsible and ethical AI implementation in the classroom.
This initiative marks a significant step in the U.K.’s efforts to harness AI technology to support educators and improve educational outcomes. As the project unfolds, it will likely be closely watched by educators, technologists, and policymakers worldwide.
