The initiatives rewarded this year illustrate how technology must remain at the service of education, and not the other way round. At a time when AI is revolutionizing teaching methods, UNESCO will continue to ensure that its use remains guided by ethical principles and serves the common good.
Audrey AzoulayUNESCO Director-General
UNESCO advocates for the ethical and responsible integration of AI in education
Since 2018, UNESCO has made the ethics of artificial intelligence a priority, leading to the adoption by its Member States of the first international normative framework in this field.
To support the integration of these technologies, which are already abundant in education, UNESCO published the first Guidance for Generative Artificial Intelligence in education and research in September 2023, as well as two AI competency frameworks for students and teachers in 2024, addressing both the opportunities and risks of AI and proposing, among other things, an age limit of 13 for the use of generative AI by students.
Since 2024, UNESCO has organized training courses on its AI competency frameworks in more than 100 countries, reaching thousands of educators and decision-makers. The Organization has also directly supported 58 countries in developing frameworks, school curricula and certified training programs on digital and AI skills-with a clear goal: to develop young talent that is aware of the potential of AI, but also of its biases and limitations.
The UNESCO-King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Education
Established in 2005 with the support of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the UNESCO-King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Education rewards individuals and organizations that promote the creative and responsible use of technology to enhance teaching and learning. Since 2005, the Prize has been awarded to 34 projects from 21 countries, selected by an international jury of five recognized experts. Each project has received US$25,000.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the Prize, whose theme this year is "Preparing learners and teachers for the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence," four initiatives were exceptionally recognized at a ceremony at the University of Bahrain, attended by the Director-General of UNESCO and Ministers of education of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
AI4InclusiveEducation (Belgium): Develop civic awareness through AI
Developed as part of the Erasmus+ SteamCity initiative, AI4InclusiveEducation offers AI education from a civic and interdisciplinary perspective for young people aged 10 to 18 from disadvantaged communities. The programme explores concrete topics such as data privacy, algorithmic bias and misinformation, anchoring them in local issues ranging from governance to mobility. Implemented by La Scientothèque, this initiative has already benefited more than 6,000 learners and 300 teachers through open-access learning modules.
Piauí Inteligência Artificial (Brazil): Encouraging local leadership for responsible AI integration
Aiming to integrate AI into the public school curriculum in the Brazilian state of Piauí by making it a compulsory subject from Year Nine through the end of secondary school, Piauí Inteligência Artificial offers a three-year learning path that integrates AI ethics into all its modules and combines digital and offline activities, making it accessible in low-resource environments. Implemented by the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in collaboration with the Piauí State Department of Education, the project benefits more than 90,000 students in 540 public schools each year and has already trained more than 680 teachers.
Mahara-Tech (Egypt): Promoting the inclusion of local communities through AI learning
Developed by the Information Technology Institute, Mahara-Tech is Egypt's national digital education platform. Aiming to strengthen digital skills in the Arabic-speaking world, this platform offers free and inclusive AI training in Arabic. The academy currently has over 600,000 users across the region, including in disadvantaged and isolated communities, and has supported nearly 2 million learning journeys. Ethical principles such as fairness, transparency, accountability and privacy are integrated throughout the platform's content.
Experience AI (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland): Enabling global access to an ethical culture in AI
Reaching more than 1.2 million young people in 24 countries, Experience AI supports global access to AI education for 11-14 year olds, helping them understand how technologies such as search engines, social media algorithms and chatbots influence their daily lives. Implemented by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, this project offers open-source tools and a "train the trainer" model that has already supported more than 7,700 teachers. By encouraging critical thinking and ethical awareness, the initiative empowers young people to make informed choices about their use of AI.
