2nd Conference on AI&ED by the Council of Europe

Christian M. Stracke

Registration still open until 1st of September 2024

The Council of Europe invites you to the Second Conference “Regulating the Use of AI Systems in Education” on 24th and 25th of October 2024 in Strasbourg. Registration is still possible online until 1st of September 2024. With this interactive event, the Council of Europe wants to discuss the necessary international regulation of AI in education.

The conference is being organized by members of the AI&ED Expert Group, including myself currently developing research on artificial intelligence and open education at the Scientific University IT and Data Centre. The AI&ED Expert Group was appointed by the Council of Europe to support it in the development of a specific European law on the ethical use of AI in education. This planned EU regulation on AI in education was mandated by the Ministers of Education in 2023 and will be presented and discussed at the conference.

The EU Commission, EU Parliament and governments have now agreed on the adoption of the AI Act as the first international cross-sectoral AI regulatory law and published it. However, the education sector is left out and the Council of Europe wants to close this gap, for which it received a mandate from all European education ministries in September 2023. To this end, the Council of Europe has appointed the AI&ED Expert Group, which is now preparing the draft AI law and recommendations for AI curricula. The first interim results were presented in a workshop at the AIED Conference 2024 in Recife (http://aied2024.learning-innovations.eu) and discussed with participants from all universities worldwide. The aim is to adopt and publish the draft as an EU law as soon as possible in order to enable the ethical and safe use of AI in universities worldwide.

Conference website by the Council of Europe: https://www.coe.int/en/web/education/-/working-conference-on-regulating-the-use-of-ai-systems-in-education

Conference agenda on 24th and 25th of October 2024 in Strasbourg: https://rm.coe.int/2nd-working-conference-on-regulating-the-use-of-ai-systems-in-educatio/1680b0dfcd

More about the initiative by the Council of Europe for the international AI regulation in education: https://opening-up.education/mandate-for-aied-regulation-by-european-ministers

25th Global AIED Conference 2024 in Brazil

Christian M. Stracke

International research and workshop on AI and Education

The Artificial Intelligence and Education (AIED) conference celebrated its 25th anniversary and a record number of participants. Over 500 researchers from all over the world came together to discuss the most pressing questions and latest research findings relating to artificial intelligence (AI) and education. The Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn was represented at AIED 2024 in the Brazilian metropolis of Recife by me.

As the research coordinator of the scientific University IT and Data Centre, I presented the first systematic literature analysis on the ethical issues of AI and Education (AI&ED), which had been selected as a scientific paper in an anonymous procedure (double-blind peer review). I was also able to present the successful teaching and learning project ‘Virtual Collaboration’ (called ViCo: https://www.vico.uni-bonn.de) and the first handout for teachers in universities from the European network ‘Ethical Use of AI’ (https://ethischeki.ecompetence.eu).

My second submission was also successful: a half-day interactive workshop on the topic of AI regulation was also accepted in a double-blind peer review process. As an appointed member of the AI&ED Expert Group of the Council of Europe, I gave an introduction to current developments, to which I could also welcome Ahmet-Murat Kilic from the Council of Europe. Afterwards, I moderated the workshop and facilitated small working groups using the World Café method.

The interest, enquiries and feedback on the research results were outstanding and the AIED 2024 conference enjoyed active participation and great popularity overall. The largest Brazilian TV station Globo reported on site and also interviewed me as international AI&ED expert to share my view.

All scientific publications and the presentations are published on the homepage https://opening-up.education/events and the results of the workshop are presented on its website http://aied2024.learning-innovations.eu

My invited speech at EUNIS 2024

Christian M. Stracke

I was pleased to be invited speaker at the Congress EUNIS 2024 in Athens:

On 4th of June 2024, I was explaining the current situation in relattion to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

My title was “Artificial Intelligence Regulation” and I was mainly focusing the AI Act and the upcoming law for using AI in education.

The AI Act as a general approach is applicable for all sectors. It is based on an impact assessment and the distinction between four levels of potential AI risks. During the development, generative AI (genAI) became popular and it was introduced as an addition category maybe causing future conflict with the four risk levels.

Education is a special sector that requires special attention:
Therefore, the Council of Europe and its appointed AI&ED Expert Group are working on a complementary law especially for the use of AI in education. It will set the framework and boundaries for ethical AI use in teaching and learning processes.

More about EUNIS 2024 and the AI workshop: https://eunis.org/blog/events/security-challenges-and-the-benefits-of-ai/

My slides are available here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11568575

First Handout for AI in Higher Education published

Christian M. Stracke

Guideline for University Teachers adopted by the Network ‘Ethical use of AI’

The German Network ‘Ethical use of AI’ has been working on a handout entitled ‘What is artificial intelli-gence (AI)?’ over the past few months and has now adopted and published it on 7th of March 2024. This first guide consists of 10 statements and a question-and-answer list together with practical recommenda-tions on two pages. It is aimed at university lecturers who want to introduce and use AI systems in their teaching.

‘We chose the short form of a handout on AI because there are already numerous studies and scientific papers on the use of AI, but so far no concise introduction that we can pass on to interested parties without prior knowledge,’ explains the head of the network Dr Christian M. Stracke from the University of Bonn. The handout closes this gap and can be used, modified and reused as desired thanks to the open and free li-cence with reference to the source.

The Network ‘Ethical use of AI’ brings together teachers and researchers from over 30 universities who also organise further education courses on how AI can change university teaching and society as a whole. Expe-rience has shown that there is huge interest in the opportunities and potential applications of AI, but there are also fears of risks and negative effects. It is therefore all the more important to provide teachers, uni-versity management and policy makers with basic information and specific practical recommendations, such as those offered for the first time in this handbook.

The independent network has now established itself as a lively community and open platform for the in-formal exchange of ideas and experiences. It deals with the personal, organisational and legal challenges of AI offerings for their ethical and trustworthy introduction and use. Since the founding meeting on 11th of May 2023, the network has met regularly once a month to exchange ideas and all interested parties are welcome to attend. It was initiated and is moderated by AI expert Christian M. Stracke from the University of Bonn, who researches AI and open education and was appointed as a member of the European AI&ED Expert Group by the Council of Europe.

Download of the German AI handout: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10793844

English translation of the AI handout: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10995669

Website of the German Network: https://ethischeki.ecompetence.eu

Appointed to global Hall of Fame

Christian M. Stracke

I’m very excited and honoured:

I have been selected as the 90th expert for the Leaders and Legends of Online Learning and inducted into the global Hall of Fame. What is unique about this is that the selection is only made by the other experts and colleagues worldwide. Marc Nichols started this project at the Open University of UK back in 2018 and has always recorded a podcast with all the appointed experts. In his questions, he is particularly interested in the personal long-term perspective.

In over 30 minutes, I describe my eventful career, international achievements and dedication to open and free education to strengthen societies and the common good worldwide. After starting my career with e-learning producers and HR consulting companies and as co-founder of the German E-Learning Association for Professional Providers (D-ELAN e.V.), I switched to scientific research. In my countless international activities and projects, I have been active on all five continents and worked primarily at universities in Europe and Asia. During my doctorate in economics and computer science, I remained true to my main topic, which I have continuously pursued for over 25 years: the quality and innovation of digital and open teaching and learning opportunities. Finally, I was appointed ICDE Chair and Associate Professor at the Open University of the Netherlands and I still holds professorships at the Korean National Open University in Seoul and at the East China Normal University in Shanghai.

Currently, I’m setting up a research line at the University of Bonn’s Scientific University IT and Data Centre that specializes in Open Education and Artificial Intelligence (AI). I analyse and evaluate the benefits of their application and combination in practice for the quality and innovation of school education, academic teaching and, above all, for the common good and society as a whole. Most recently, I was appointed by the Council of Europe as a member of the European AI&ED Expert Group, which is developing an EU law specifically on the use of AI in education to complement the AI Act.

EduTalk Recording is published by Council of Europe

Christian M. Stracke

The EduTalk of the Council of Europe on “Teaching and Learning with and about AI” was a huge success thanks to more than 100 participants!

On 19th of October 2023, I was very happy to discuss together with my colleagues the ethical dimensions of AI&ED. In particular we emphasized the importance and need to focus and regulate AI and Education (AI&ED).

All details about the EduTalk can be found on the Council of Europe website.

The recording of the EduTalk is published now, just click on the image below:

 

AI&ED Workshop at Council of Europe in Strasbourg

Christian M. Stracke
Council of Europe AI&ED Expert Group
CoE_AIED_Expert_Group

The AI&ED Expert Group was meeting at the Council of Europe in Strabourg for two-day interactive workshop. On Tuesday, 21st, and Wednesday, 22nd of November 2023, all experts were discussing the future AI&ED activities in Europe.

Main objective was the development and reflection of key elements and structures relevant for the planned European AI&ED legal regulation and accompanying recommendation on AI literacy.

All 20+ experts from all parts of Europe agreed on the need for a strong international convention that should also be adopted as legally binding instrument in Europe and all Council if Europe’s member states.

EduTalk on Teaching and Learning with and about AI

Christian M. Stracke

The Council of Europe invites to the EduTalk on Teaching and Learning with and about AI:

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping education, offering new opportunities for media creation, analysis, and decision-making. This transformation demands a re-evaluation of current teaching and assessment methods in light of AI’s black box nature and its integration into educational systems.

The upcoming EduTalk will delve into the potential applications of AI in supporting teaching and learning. It will scrutinize the challenges and benefits from both the learner and teacher perspectives. Additionally, the event will emphasize the prerequisites that must be met before introducing an AI-enabled technology/system in the classroom, with a particular focus on upholding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Key questions:

  • How can AI be effectively integrated into educational curricula to promote AI literacy?
  • What ethical considerations should guide AI regulation in education to protect human rights and democracy?
  • How can teachers be supported in adapting to AI-enhanced teaching methods?
  • What strategies can be employed to ensure AI is used responsibly and creatively in the classroom?

Join on Zoom for the EduTalks@Council of Europe on Thursday 19 October at 17.00 CET to get answers to these and other questions.

I’m very pleased to be invited as speaker focusing on the ethical dimensions of AI&ED.

More details and registration on the Council of Europe website.

We are looking forward to our discussion!

Mandate for AI&ED Regulation by European Ministers

Christian M. Stracke

On 29th of September 2023, the European Ministers of Education set new priorities and actions to implement the Reyjkjavik Principles for Democracy at the 26th session of their Standing Conference. They endorsed the 2030 “Learners First” strategy and adopted five resolutions including the mandate for regulating Artificial Intelligence and education (AI&ED).

The AI&ED resolution consists of two major instruments to harness the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in and through education: (1) an international convention as European law and (2) a recommendation on teaching and learning about AI.

The rationale for this mandate is provided in the regulation objectives for AI in education by the Council of Europe that were building the basis for the decision by the Standing Conference of the Ministries of Education from the 46 Member States of Council of Europe.

The first legal instrument should regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence systems in education to promote and to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law as core values of the Council of Europe.

And the second instrument combines both approaches: ethical use of AI in education (AIED) and education about AI (AI literacy) incorporating the impact of AI on human rights, democracy and the rule of law and prioritising the active participation and agency of teachers and learners.

Through this resolution, the AI&ED Expert Group appointed by the Council of Europe can start working on both instruments. As selected AI&ED Expert Group member, I’m very proud and honoured to contribute my expertise for the European future of ethical and trustworthy AI and education.

Invited Keynote at IEC 2023 in Bangkok

Christian M. Stracke

The International E-Learning Conference (IEC) 2023 invited me to deliver the keynote on 1st of September 2023. I selected the title “Social changes for and through e-Learning and AI” for my keynote to address current and future challenges in education.

I’m convinced that digitalisation is a strong (if not the strongest) driver for social changes, not only in education.

E-Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are challenging and changing our societies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, e-Learning was often immediately and broadly introduced without any support and stable infrastructure leading to many problems and inequities.

Afterwards and in particular through the published ChatGPT and its global promotion, AI became popular and impacts now educational settings and systems by offering new opportunities to create media, analyses and decisions. However, the AI services, their black boxes, hallucinations, lacking responsibilities and ongoing integrations into other systems are mostly unclear and non-transparent.

As a consequence, we need to reflect and adapt our current teaching and learning opportunities, especially the grading and assessments with main focus on written examinations and theses.

And we should start the global discussion how e-Learning and AI can be used to strengthen human rights, democracy and rules of law instead of supporting biases, fake news and inequity.