OpenAI calls for stronger AI guidance and teacher support in education
OpenAI is calling for stronger guidance on artificial intelligence in education, arguing that teachers, schools and governments need the skills and confidence to make informed decisions about AI tools. The company’s report draws on emerging lessons from education partnerships across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
- OpenAI says teachers remain central as AI becomes more capable.
- 79% of surveyed students reported using AI for homework or assignments.
- Only 47% said they had been shown how to use AI for schoolwork.
- Partnerships in EMEA focus on access, AI literacy, and evaluation.
- OpenAI says teacher adoption and reported time savings are early signals, not final evidence.
A growing gap between AI use and guidance
The report says education systems are reassessing which skills will help people thrive as intelligence becomes easier to access and apply. OpenAI argues that this shift increases the importance of teachers, whose expertise, judgement and ability to guide learning remain essential.
Research from ThinkYoung cited by OpenAI highlights the gap between student use and formal support. Among surveyed students, 79% reported using AI for homework or assignments, while 47% said they had been shown how to use it. OpenAI says governments should support educators and give students clearer expectations about how AI can be used.
Lessons from partnerships across EMEA
OpenAI says it is working with governments and education systems in Estonia, Slovakia, Greece and Italy, among others, to explore how AI can support educators. The collaborations focus on three priorities: equitable access to frontier AI tools, jointly designed AI literacy programmes, and ongoing measurement and evaluation.
The company says these efforts are being adapted to local languages, curricula and institutions. Its report identifies five themes: clear educational goals, educator preparation, local partnerships, critical AI literacy and credible evidence.
Early lessons from Estonia, Greece and Slovakia point to the importance of public leadership, investment in teachers’ skills and confidence, and practical support tailored to local curricula and classroom needs. OpenAI stresses that these are country-specific experiences rather than a single model for education systems to follow.
Why evaluation matters
OpenAI describes teacher adoption and reported time savings as encouraging early signals. However, it says more sustained evaluation is needed to understand whether AI strengthens knowledge, independent thinking and retention.
The company says surveys, programme monitoring and consultation are being used to study participants’ experiences and the barriers they face. Through the OpenAI Learning Lab, it is also bringing education researchers together to examine when and how AI can support education systems.
For schools and policymakers, the report presents AI literacy and teacher preparation as decisions that need to be shaped by local conditions and evidence. OpenAI says the choices made today will influence how the next generation learns, works and participates in society, while acknowledging that current findings may challenge its assumptions.
OpenAI: Closing the AI guidance gap in education
