UNESCO AI competency Framework for Students and Teachers

The frameworks aim to guide countries in supporting students and teachers to understand the potential, as well as risks, of AI in order to engage with it in a safe, ethical and responsible manner in education and beyond. They were launched during Digital Learning Week 2024.

The AI competency framework for students is designed to guide policy-makers, educators and curriculum developers in equipping students with the necessary skills, knowledge and values to engage with AI effectively. It focuses on four core competencies:

• A human-centred mindset: Encouraging students to understand and assert their agency in relation to AI.
• Ethics of AI: Teaching responsible use, ethics-by-design and safe practices.
• AI techniques and applications: Providing foundational AI knowledge and skills.
• AI system design: Fostering problem-solving, creativity and design thinking.

The AI competency framework for teachers is focused on lifelong professional development for teachers, offering a reference framework for national competency development and training programmes. It aims to ensure that teachers are equipped to use AI responsibly and effectively while minimizing potential risks to students and society. The five key competency areas are:

• A human-centred mindset: Focusing on human agency, accountability and social responsibility.
• Ethics of AI: Promoting ethical principles and responsible use.
• AI foundations and applications: Providing the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to create and use AI.
• AI pedagogy: Supporting teachers in leveraging AI for innovative teaching methods.
• AI for professional development: Outlining teachers’ capacities to leverage AI for driving their own lifelong professional development.

The framework emphasises that AI tools should complement, not replace, the vital roles and responsibilities of teachers in education.