East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds has led a debate in Westminster Hall on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in schools, highlighting its potential to support teachers while warning of significant risks.

A recent teacher survey found that half of teachers are already using AI in their professional duties, such as lesson planning and creating learning resources.

Mr Hinds said making high-quality products easily accessible could make a material difference to teachers’ workloads.

He told MPs that Generative AI offers great promise for tailored learning resources and easing workload pressures, but warned that “whatever pace Whitehall works at, kids will work at about six times that pace.”

Mr Hinds stressed that children must understand the limitations of AI, including its tendency to “hallucinate” or provide false information, and its inbuilt biases.

In a world with blurred lines between fact, fiction, and opinion – and with the rise of influencers, virtual reality, and the metaverse – he said it is vital that pupils are taught to be discerning and to seek out trustworthy primary sources.

Addressing concerns about homework, assessment, and exams, Mr Hinds argued that the surest way to guarantee security and integrity is for exams to remain handwritten under traditional exam conditions.

He urged ministers not to allow exam boards to move GCSEs online, except for subjects such as computer science or where a pupil requires a keyboard due to special educational needs.

He warned that moving GCSEs online would create a ‘cascade effect’ down the year groups, eventually leading people to question the need for handwriting at all.

Handwriting, he said, has important developmental and learning benefits and is a skill that must not be lost.

While acknowledging AI’s transformative potential in education, Mr Hinds said its adoption must be carefully managed, urging the government to proceed with great caution. He called for a Code of Practice on AI use in education, along with further training and guidance for teachers to maximise its benefits.