Professor Fengchun MIAO

Chief, Unit for Technology and AI in Education, UNESCO, Paris

Biography

Dr Fengchun Miao is the Chief of the Unit for Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education at Education Sector, UNESCO HQ in Paris, he is also a Professor (on leave) of Beijing Normal University of China. He is leading programmes of the Education Sector of UNESCO on technological innovation in education including the development of AI competencies, ethical principles on the use of AI in education, AI and the futures of learning, and supporting digital learning policy development, mobile learning, and OER. He is managing UNESCO Prize for the Use of ICTs in Education. Highlights of his achievements include leading the organization of 4 international conferences on AI and education (2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022) and the development and adoption of the Beijing Consensus on AI and Education; the launch and continuous organization of Mobile Learning Week of UNESCO for 9 years; the development and adoption of Qingdao Declaration on leveraging ICT to achieve SDG 4; Directly led the training and technical advices to more than 70 countries on national digital learning policies. He is the leading author of more than 20 important publications and reports of UNESCO including: Guidelines for ICT in education policies and masterplans; AI and education: guidance for policy-makers; Guidelines on the development of open educational resources policies; K-12 AI curricula: A mapping of government-endorsed AI curricula; Education and Blockchain; Innovative use of technology in education: Winning projects of UNESCO’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize; Open educational resources: policy, costs, transformation.

Title

Steering human-centred use of generative AI in education

Abstract

The release of iterative versions of generative AI (GenAI) tools is outpacing the adaptation of national regulatory frameworks. The absence of national regulations on GenAI in most countries leaves the data privacy of users unprotected and educational institutions largely unprepared to validate the tools. UNESCO promotes a human-centred approach to uses of AI in education. Based on UNESCO’s guidance on GenAI in education and human-centred principles, this talk will examine the functions and limits of generative using an AI human-AI collaboration model. Based on eight basic asks relevant to human agency, inclusion, equity, linguistic and cultural diversity, plural opinions and plural expression, the talk will examine eight fundamental controversies around generative AI. It will further proposes key steps for the regulation of GenAI tools accordingly, including mandating the protection of data privacy and setting an age limit for independent conversations with GenAI platforms. It will share the progress of the AI competency frameworks for school students and teachers UNESCO has been developing. To guide the proper use of the tools in education and research, the talk will present a human-agent and age-appropriate approach to the validation and pedagogical design on the uses of GenAI.

Speakers