The approval by the Ministry of Education (MEC) of guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education was well received by experts and institutions that work with the topic.
The rule prohibits the use of AI by students in the early years of basic education and provides guidance on the use of the tool by high school and higher education students, as well as on its ethical and appropriate use by teachers.
One of the organizations that helped draft the document was the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). Rebeca Otero, coordinator of the institution's Education Sector in Brazil, emphasizes that one of the main points of the guideline, which schools must observe, is students' digital literacy.
"Before using AI, the student needs to develop critical thinking about the tool. Understanding how AI works, how it searches for information, the reliability of the answers, so that they can do their own fact-checking. That is why its use is allowed in high school, because it is understood that students have already had, or should have had, this learning," she says.
Rebeca points out other issues that deserve attention from teachers and students, because they can pose a risk if not monitored. One of them is attention to the biases in the answers given by artificial intelligence — for example, if they stem from a racist or discriminatory analysis.
Students also need to learn to identify reliable, scientific sources, and to stay alert to excessive dependence on the tool. "AI can be used as support, but the creation of a text or the solving of a problem must always be the student's own," she says.
Data protection
Another aspect that schools must observe, according to the rule, is the protection of students' data. For this reason, it is not permitted to insert personal information or photos of students, for example, into AI platforms.
"When bringing artificial intelligence into schools, it is necessary to prepare teachers and the entire educational institution — not only for AI, but for all technologies — to prevent improper use, data leaks, or the use of a technology by very young children," says Rebeca Otero.