Why Some Countries Are Quickly Adopting AI in Schools

Education is a key topic.

The date is Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 5:12 am.

China's schools are using AI more and teaching it as the government tries to improve the country's AI abilities.

Anaiya Singhvi enjoys school but finds chemistry challenging.

Anaiya says, 'Chemistry is hard to visualize because it's about molecules and atoms.'

She uses AI to help with chemistry.

Anaiya uses AI tools with guidance from her father, Vishal.

The 15-year-old uses AI like Google's Notebook LM for explanations, summaries, and answering questions.

Singapore is one of several Asian countries quickly adopting AI in education.

At Anaiya's school, the chemistry department uses AI to help students focus on areas where they need improvement.

Anaiya says, 'I can now focus on the topics I'm weaker in, rather than studying all of them.'

She finds studying chemistry easier with AI's help.

Anaiya is passionate about animal welfare and sustainability and believes learning AI will aid her future career.

Other Asian countries are also working to teach and use AI in schools to lead in the global AI race.

Parts of China are making AI education compulsory, with specific hours dedicated to AI each year.

However, some countries face backlash against introducing AI technology in schools.

Research is emerging about the potential risks of AI for students, including its impact on creativity and critical thinking.

'Sparring partner, not spoon feeder' is a phrase used to describe the ideal role of AI in education.

A report by the Brookings Institution found that the risks of using AI in education currently outweigh the benefits.

The risks undermine children's foundational development, according to the report.

The study involved interviews, focus groups, and consultations with 500 students, parents, teachers, and technology experts.

One concern raised was AI's impact on cognitive development as students 'off-load' mental tasks.

Australian students have recorded their worst-ever results in digital literacy tests.

UNESCO notes a growing emphasis in Asia on responsible AI use, critical thinking, and ethical awareness.

Efforts focus on embedding critical evaluation of AI outputs and ethics-based guidance into teacher education and school curricula.

In Singapore, the government aims to avoid 'cognitive offloading' among students by teaching AI literacy.

Singapore set up an initiative to develop AI talent nearly 10 years ago.

The Education Minister said the government's approach is to ground children in strong fundamentals and teach them to synthesize information and think critically.

Anaiya is mindful of AI's risks and careful not to rely too heavily on it.

She uses AI to advise on improving her essays but not to write them.

Anaiya's father, who works in AI strategy, guides her on using AI responsibly.

He encourages her to use AI as a tutor that throws quizzes.

Vishal says Anaiya has become more confident and self-sufficient in her studies since using AI.

The Singapore government launched AI Singapore in 2017 to build the country's AI capabilities.

AI Singapore helps schools teach AI literacy and ran a student outreach program for training in programming and AI projects.

The initiative now works with the Ministry of Education to identify high-ability learners and develop a pathway for them to become future AI inventors.

Singapore aims to make the broader population 'bilingual' in using AI at work.

Being 'bilingual' means being fluent in a professional domain and able to apply AI to it.

AI education is seen as 'national survival' for some countries.

South Korea wants to be one of the world's top three AI powerhouses and sees growing AI talent as a 'national survival strategy'.

The government is concentrating its efforts on preparing for an AI-driven society.

However, South Korea reversed its plan to embed AI in schools last year.

China has unveiled its five-year plan for tech dominance, including AI.

The plan involves teaching programming and running extracurricular clubs in robotics and coding.

China's central government wants to make teaching and learning more efficient by embedding AI in classrooms.

By training young people in AI skills, China sees opportunities to grow its prowess as an AI-driven nation.

Japan is taking a different approach to AI in education.

Japan's Ministry of Education is monitoring results from AI pilots at schools.

The ministry's primary concern is whether generative AI contributes to children's competencies and is used effectively.

Japan's education authorities are gathering information from AI pilots.

There is still much to be understood about how generative AI can be used in schools.

Australia's education authorities have released guidance on using AI responsibly.

The federal government wants education ministers to discuss AI at a meeting later this year.

Many schools are taking a slow approach to AI, seeing how it pans out elsewhere.

Discussions on AI education should focus on the purpose of schools and where AI fits in.

AI is already entering schools through popular software like Google Classroom.

These conversations are important before AI becomes a normal part of education.

The date is Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 5:12 am.

The date is Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 7:25 am.

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