Artificial Intelligence Tools: Schools

Lord Bishop of Hereford Excerpts

Monday 26th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I wish the noble Lord a very happy birthday. Of course, he is right. That is why we need different elements of protection and, as he rightly said, promotion. The certification would enable schools more quickly and easily to see the edtech products that met the standards. In January, we strengthened our product safety standards both to reflect emerging risks and developments in AI technologies and to ensure that AI supports genuine learning and does not undermine children’s ability to think, learn and develop independently. The certification scheme enables the development by legitimate edtech companies of the type of technology which will help to support children’s learning.

[The Lord Bishop of Hereford]

My Lords, a number of noble Lords have already asked questions about the regulation of AI in schools. Would it be Ofsted that inspected schools and how they govern their use of artificial intelligence, including the safeguards they have in place to protect pupils and manage the use of personal data? If so, what steps are the Government taking to ensure that Ofsted inspectors have the expertise and guidance necessary to make such assessments effectively?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

Of course, Ofsted will have an important role to play in ensuring the safeguarding responsibility of schools with respect to AI as well as its appropriate use in the classroom. There is also a role for the Information Commissioner’s Office in the protection of data. As I have already identified, it would not be appropriate for Ofsted, for example, to be the organisation that holds the certification process. That is another area where there will be support for ensuring that what happens is right, safe and effective, and a way of ensuring that schools are following the certification and the guidance that already exist.