The emergence of generative AI may have potentially huge implications for education. (PHOTO VCG)

UNESCO released its first global guidance on generative AI (GenAI) in education on September 7. The guidance suggests six steps that governmental agencies can take to regulate GenAI and reassert public control in order to leverage its potentials across sectors, including in education.

Step 1: Endorse international or regional General Data Protection Regulations (GDPRs) or develop national GDPRs

General Data Protection Regulations, provide the necessary legal framework to regulate the collection and processing of personal data by the suppliers of GenAI.

Step 2: Adopt/revise and fund whole-of government strategies on AI

Regulating generative AI must be part and parcel of broader national AI strategies that can ensure safe and equitable use of AI across development sectors, including in education.

Step 3: Solidify and implement specific regulations on the ethics of AI

Countries that do not yet have regulations on ethics of AI must urgently articulate and implement them.

Step 4: Adjust or enforce existing copyright laws to regulate AI-generated content

The increasingly pervasive use of GenAI has introduced new challenges for copyright. At present, Only China, European Union countries and the United States have adjusted copyright laws to account for the implications of generative AI.

Step 5: Elaborate regulatory frameworks on generative AI

The rapid pace of development of AI technologies is forcing national/local governance agencies to speed up their renewal of regulations. As of July 2023, only one country, China, had released specific official regulation on GenAI. More of such national GenAI-specific frameworks need to be developed based upon an assessment of the gaps in existing local regulations and laws.

Step 6: Build capacity for proper use of GenAI in education and research

Teachers and researchers need to be supported to strengthen their capacities for the proper use of GenAI, including through training and continuous coaching.

Step 7: Reflect on the long-term implications of GenAI for education and research

To ensure a human-centred use of AI, open public debate and policy dialogues on the long-term implications should urgently be conducted. Inclusive debate involving government, the private sector and other partners, should serve to provide insights and inputs for the iterative renewal of regulations and policies.

—UNESCO, Guidance for generative AI in education and research, 07-09-2021