First Summit on the future of education to drive debate on AI in education

The UNESCO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and the País Digital Foundation, with sponsorship from the Ministry of Education of Chile and support from Spence BHP, will host the first Summit on the Future of Education on 3 and 4 September 2024. This event is part of the twelfth País Digital Summit and the second edition of UNESCO's Digital Learning Week in Paris, focused on the use of AI in education.

The summit will bring together leading academics, national and international experts, educators, students, and authorities to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in lifelong learning processes, from early childhood to higher education. The significance of this topic lies in the rapid advancement of digital technologies, which promise to revolutionise the way teaching and learning take place both inside and outside the classroom. However, this transformation also raises urgent questions that need to be addressed to ensure proper implementation.

"Artificial intelligence offers countless possibilities to improve the quality of modern education. However, to effectively address the challenges and risks it brings, we need to adopt a humanistic approach that guarantees its ethical, responsible, non-discriminatory, equitable, transparent, and auditable application," said Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of UNESCO's Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The summit will be inaugurated by Chilean authorities and UNESCO representatives and will take place over two days from 3 PM to 6 PM, featuring panel discussions, talks, and keynote lectures. These sessions will cover a range of topics, including experiences with AI in early childhood and primary education, creating opportunities for the next generation of professionals, the role of teachers in a digitalised educational environment, and the public policies necessary to integrate these technologies effectively and safely into the educational system.

"The Summit on the Future of Education provides a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to unite around a common goal: maximising the potential of AI in education, ensuring that its benefits reach everyone efficiently and safely, leaving no one behind, while also preparing the next generation of professionals to tackle increasingly complex challenges linked to digitalisation," added Catalina Araya, Director of Education at the País Digital Foundation.

Key activities include a keynote address by María Eugenia Curi, AI specialist at the Ceibal Foundation in Uruguay, who will discuss a framework for integrating AI into education. Lionel Brossi, Director of the AI and Society Research Centre and Associate Professor at the University of Chile, will delve into disruptive AI pedagogical models.

This first Summit on the Future of Education will showcase success stories, such as the innovative educational work done by the Ceibal Foundation in Uruguay, while providing a platform for exchanging knowledge and experiences among various actors in the education sector.

More information about the event: https://summit.paisdigital.org/