Prof. Viola Schiaffonati of the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of the Politecnico di Milano contributed to the Ethical Guidelines on the Use of AI and Data in Teaching and Learning for Educators, published by the European Commission on October 25, 2022 and developed by the Commission Expert Group on AI and Data in Education and Training of which she was a member as representative of the Informatics Europe association.
The Guidelines are part of the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) and will help teachers at primary and secondary levels of education, independently of their experience in digital education. The objective is to clarify popular and widespread misconceptions about AI that might cause confusion or anxiety over its use, especially in education.
Ethical considerations and requirements are also addressed by offering practical advice to educators and school leaders on how to plan an effective use of AI and data in schools. For example, the guidelines advise on how to use technologies to adapt teaching to each learner's ability or how to prepare individualized interventions for students with special needs. Finally, they are a solid basis to discuss emerging competences for an ethical use of AI and data among teachers and educators and suggest ways of raising awareness and engaging with the community.