AI Pioneers, is an Erasmus+ Forward Looking,  cross-sectoral project aims at promoting the use and teaching of artificial intelligence (AI) in adult education and vocational training (VET). UNESCO recognizes the potential of AI to accelerate the achievement of global education goals by reducing barriers to learning access, automating management processes, and optimizing methods to improve learning outcomes. The European Digital Action Plan highlights that digital technology, when used effectively, can support high-quality and inclusive education for all learners.

As AI continues to transform education, our project aims to build a network of AI Pioneers, including trainers, stakeholders, policy-makers, and educational planners, to act as reference points for the design and implementation of future educational projects related to AI. Our objectives include developing policy recommendations, toolkits, and implementation guidelines for AI Pioneers, identifying and piloting use cases of AI in education, and developing guidelines for ethical and trustworthy use of AI in education.

To achieve these objectives, we will involve stakeholders throughout the AI system’s life cycle, fostering training and education so that all stakeholders understand the issues in developing ethical and trustworthy approaches to the use of AI in education. We will also develop a supplement to the DigCompEDU Framework that describes the skills and competences of teachers and trainers related to AI in education.

We recognize that local knowledge and capacity are critical for the effective adoption and shaping of AIEd, and we will work to develop new scaling models. According to the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the EU needs a “clearing house” that helps teachers and policy-makers make sense of the fast developments in this area. Our project aims to address this need and contribute to the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem that increasingly includes the use of AI at all levels, including for teaching and learning.

Aim of the project

The project aims to explore, promote and evaluate the use of AI for Adult Education and Vocational education and training, both the use for teaching and training and the curriculum needs of working with AI. The project also aims to support the development of new initiatives and projects using AI as a necessary step towards the mainstreaming of AI n education in Europe.

Added European value

The project will create a European network to supplement existing networks like Epale and the JRC community for DigCompEdu. It will develop a supplement to the DigCompEdu Framework and will support the development of policies for ethical use of AI in education that align with wider European policies. The project will contribute to the European Digital Education Action Plan.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.