AI project launched in UK to support teachers with lesson planning and homework marking

The UK government announced on Wednesday a "first-of-its kind" £4 million ($5.2 million) project to bolster artificial intelligence tools to help teachers plan lessons and mark homework.

As part of project, government documents like curriculum guidance, lesson plans, and student assessments will be provided to AI companies to train their tech to "generate accurate, high-quality content, like tailored, creative lesson plans and workbooks".

The generative AI tools will help teachers mark work and create teaching material, the science and education departments said in a press release.

"Today's world-leading announcement marks a huge step forward for AI in the classroom," said early education minister Stephen Morgan, part of the recently elected Labour government.

Science Secretary Peter Kyle said the project aims to "ease admin burdens" and will "transform how we see and use public sector data".

The project claims to have a "first-of-its kind approach to processing government data for AI".

The previous Conservative government had announced investment of £2 million for AI resources in education.

A government-commissioned research paper on public attitudes to AI in education published today found that while those surveyed agreed AI could help teachers, there were concerns of overreliance on the technology.

Parents and students "were worried about the loss of key social and technical skills and reduced human contact-time leading to unintended adverse outcomes", according to the research.

UK schools have been rocked in recent years by teaching strikes over a decrease in salaries in real terms, while struggling to retain teaching staff in sufficient numbers.