As the world changes, so do the skills and education young people need to thrive over the next decades. Schools in the UK have been slower to adopt some digital technologies than other sectors. A recent Nesta report, Educ-AI-tion rebooted? Exploring the future of artificial intelligence in schools and colleges, explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in schools and colleges, and charts a path for the future that maximises the benefits and minimises the risks.

Artificial intelligence is one of many cutting-edge technologies set to change the world in the very near future. To inform the findings from Educ-AI-tion rebooted, Nesta commissioned an online survey by YouGov to find out what parents* thought about the possibility of using AI in schools.

While 61 per cent of parents with children aged 18 and under thought AI would have an important role in running school classrooms in 2035, the same number were concerned that decisions made by AI might be unfair. So while 75 per cent of British parents with children aged 18 and under felt happy with AI being used to facilitate administrative tasks such as timetabling, parents had mixed feelings on issues such as using AI to assess a wider range of student attributes, determine strengths and weaknesses or in the marking of exams.