Council conclusions on teachers in the era of artificial intelligence (AI)

(C/2026/2826)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

RECALLS the political background to the European Education Area and its full achievement and the key role of teachers, who are at the heart of high-quality, inclusive and future-oriented education and training systems fit for the digital age;

CALLS ATTENTION to digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy as essential for Europe, noting that reducing dependencies associated with artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies developed outside Europe, including in education and training, is critical.

RECOGNISES that

1.	AI plays a pivotal role in Europe’s competitiveness and sustainable growth;

2.	the ongoing digital transition – and in particular the rapid development and deployment of AI – is reshaping daily life across the Union, creating new realities for education and training systems;

AI has the potential to influence how learning is organised, how teachers design, deliver and assess instruction, and how learners access and interpret information, and therefore may transform the relationship between teachers and learners; it may also affect how schools manage administrative tasks;

the integration of AI in education and training requires building on existing digital skills and competences and their continuous development, as well as guidance and supportive frameworks to enable teachers, learners and education and training systems to be adequately equipped for the digital transformation;

5.	these changes might affect teachers’ roles, pedagogical practices, the expectations placed upon teachers, and the wider organisation of school life.

UNDERLINES that for the purposes of these conclusions, the term ‘teachers’ encompasses teachers, trainers, school leaders and other pedagogical staff involved in teaching learners at the pre-primary, primary, lower and upper secondary levels of formal education and training systems, including initial and upper secondary vocational education and training (VET), and is to be understood in line with national or, where applicable, regional law and the structure of each education and training system.

HIGHLIGHTS that AI has the potential to enhance:

6.	active and collaborative learning and creative engagement;

7.	inclusion, through the provision of educational resources for young people with disabilities and special educational needs;

8.	accessibility for learners in rural and remote areas and from underrepresented and marginalised backgrounds;

9.	participation of learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds in learning, thus enhancing cultural and linguistic diversity;

10.	pedagogy through a variety of approaches, including practical and experiential learning;

11.	personalisation to address diverse learning profiles, including individualised instructions and immediate feedback, thus supporting the acquisition of knowledge and skills;

12.	assessment practices that focus on learners’ individual needs and progress, enabling early gaps identification and formative feedback and preventing risks of disengagement or dropout;

13.	administrative efficiency, allowing more time to be dedicated to the process of teaching and learning;

NOTES that AI may pose concerns regarding:

14.	human agency and oversight, especially since AI has the potential to undermine the autonomy of teachers and learners;

15.

technological dependence on AI tools, particularly generative AI, which may gradually undermine critical thinking, as well as cognitive and metacognitive capabilities needed for learning, while potentially affecting learners’ motivation, perceptions of the value of education and commitment to lifelong learning;

16.	the excessive and non-purposeful use of screens and AI-enabled tools by young learners, which may distract them and, in some cases, hinder their concentration and skill acquisition;

17.	human accountability, which might be undermined due to an over-reliance on AI tools, thus potentially leading to misinformation, plagiarism or copyright issues;

18.	biases embedded in or amplified by AI, especially if other contextual specificities are not taken into account, which might result in discrimination, inequality and exclusion;

19.	the quality, integrity, protection and transparency of data, especially given the need to preserve trust, fairness, privacy and accountability;

20.	the risk of widening digital divides, especially with unequal access to and inadequate design of AI tools and infrastructure, as well as disparities in digital skills and competences, potentially exacerbating inequalities among learners;

21.	societal, mental and environmental well-being, especially given the risk that the deployment of AI might affect social cohesion, cognitive processes and further aggravate the environmental and climate crisis.

STRESSES

22.	the need for a balanced, evidence-informed, purposeful and values-driven approach to AI in education and training, that embraces opportunities while proactively identifying, preventing and mitigating risks;

23.	the importance of distinguishing between general-purpose AI tools used in educational practices and AI education technology (EdTech) solutions that are underpinned by pedagogical principles and designed to improve educational outcomes, in line with the risk-based approach defined under the AI Act;

24.	that alongside major technological shifts, the human dimension of teaching and learning, grounded in ethical, safe and responsible use of AI, remains central;

25.	that teachers are key enablers of this endeavour and can help education and training systems to benefit from innovation while continuing to promote quality, equity, inclusion and success for all, which remain central as we move towards the European Education Area.

EMPHASISES that

26.	teachers play a decisive role in the learning process, and in shaping how AI is introduced, interpreted and used;

27.	educational decisions in relation to the use of AI are to remain grounded in pedagogical purpose;

28.	AI tools must support – and not replace or isolate – teachers, and that professional judgment, pedagogical autonomy and responsibility are essential for high-quality, inclusive and human-centred education and training.

AFFIRMS the essential and evolving role of teachers in:

29.	embracing opportunities offered by AI, while safeguarding trust and meaningful interactions between teachers and learners in the classroom, as well as learners’ developmental and socio-emotional needs, by ensuring age-appropriate guidance and supervision;

30.	facilitating learning with AI tools, using creative, innovative and personalised teaching approaches, where it adds pedagogical value;

31.	critically assessing AI outputs, explaining the limitations and potential biases of AI systems and supporting learners in evaluating AI-generated information;

32.	strengthening digital citizenship by guiding learners in the responsible, ethical and critical use of AI, thus enhancing informed and active democratic participation;

33.	helping learners assess the environmental, societal and ethical implications of AI tools, in support of a green, just and resilient future;

34.	contributing, where appropriate, to the co-design, selection, evaluation and contextual adaptation of AI tools used in education and training.

And therefore, URGES that approaches to AI in education and training should be guided by the principles of digital humanism, ensuring that technology serves people, supports human agency, and strengthens democratic values.

ACKNOWLEDGES that

35.	investing in teachers is essential to ensure that AI contributes positively to teaching and learning;

36.

empowering teachers to navigate the opportunities and risks of AI requires:

a)	AI literacy, including knowledge of, and skills and competences in, AI tools and technologies, as well as critical thinking and media literacy;

b)	high-quality guidance, capacity-building and professional development;

c)	clear understanding of the data-sovereignty challenges related to the use of AI tools in education and training;

d)	a comprehensive policy framework that supports the safe deployment of trustworthy AI tools and technologies in education and training and that safeguards pedagogical autonomy and professional decision-making;

supportive working conditions, including assistance from educational technologists, and the necessary digital infrastructure to enable teachers of all backgrounds, levels of digital readiness and ages to adapt to technological change and to exercise their professional judgment responsibly and with confidence;

37.	system-level and whole-school approaches, engaging all key actors, including parents and families, are necessary in order to ensure coherent, sustainable and equitable integration of AI into education and training, preventing undue burdens on individual teachers.

DRAWS ATTENTION to:

38.

the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation at national, regional and EU level, ensuring that no education and training institution is left behind;

39.

the need to strengthen the Union’s strategic autonomy in educational technologies by fostering the development of EU-based AI tools and solutions, in line with Union values and interests.

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES to:

40.

Support teachers to build on existing digital skills and competences to use and to teach about AI tools and technologies effectively, and to understand the associated benefits and risks.

41.

Support the introduction and use of AI tools, where they add pedagogical value, in a way that complements and strengthens the human dimension of teaching and does not replace teachers’ pedagogical roles or relationships with learners.

42.

Encourage the provision of trustworthy, ethical, human-centred, research-informed and explainable AI tools, specifically designed for educational contexts and suited to learners’ ages and the intended educational purpose.

43.

When relevant, empower teachers to integrate AI tools into teaching and learning processes critically, responsibly, ethically and confidently, while safeguarding pedagogical autonomy, professional judgment and learners’ well-being.

44.

Stimulate the integration of AI literacy into, where applicable, initial teacher education, induction and continuous professional development.

45.

Involve teachers in the creation and evaluation of AI initiatives and encourage research examining the impact of AI on teachers’ roles, as well as on learning outcomes.

46.

Promote ethical, safe and trustworthy approaches to AI in education and training, including through guidance on data protection, risk awareness, accountability and learner-centred safeguards.

47.

Address issues of equity and accessibility, including linguistic accessibility and regional disparities, by promoting fair access to AI tools, digital infrastructure and high-quality digital resources for all teachers and learners.

48.

Explore and harness the potential of AI to support inclusive, personalised and learner-centred approaches, including in vocational education and work-based learning.

49.

Take due account of the impact of AI on teachers’ workload, their assessment practices and their administrative tasks, with a view to ensuring teachers’ rights through sustainable and supportive working conditions.

50.

Support teachers’ well-being, ensuring that AI contributes to improving teaching and learning processes without creating undue pressure.

INVITES THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, within its sphere of competence and with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity, to:

51.

Continue cooperation and further develop synergies with the Council of Europe, UNESCO, and the OECD; further work with the OECD on the finalisation of the AI Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education.

52.

Support a coherent and strategic approach to AI in education and training at European level that focuses on digital skills, AI literacy, support for teacher professional development and critical thinking and that boosts democratic resilience, including the ability to assess bias, disinformation and the risks related to cyberbullying, while working towards the 2030 Roadmap on the future of digital education and skills.

53.

Facilitate evidence development and sharing, research, good practices and policy exchange on human-centred approaches to AI in education and training, including through the European Digital Education Hub.

54.

Continue to work on and disseminate guidance and practical resources to support the ethical, responsible, safe and transparent use of AI tools in education and training, including by promoting the recently updated Guidelines on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and data in teaching and learning for educators and Guidelines for teachers and educators on tackling disinformation and promoting digital literacy through education and training.

55.

Proceed with the update of the European framework for the digital competence of educators (DigCompEdu) to take into account the rapid development and increasing use of AI, ensuring that educators are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to effectively, critically and responsibly integrate AI-based tools and practices into teaching, learning and assessment.

56.

Ensure coherence across EU initiatives related to AI, education and training, and digital transformation.

57.

Support Member States in providing frameworks and guidance on legal and data-protection responsibilities, including the implementation of the AI Act in education and training.

58.

Promote the engagement of teachers in designing and evaluating EU-level initiatives on AI in education and training.

INVITES MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION, within their respective spheres of competence, to:

59.

Continue to develop appropriate capacity-building programmes to prepare teachers to work in increasingly AI-rich settings.

60.

Work towards guiding and protecting teachers in the use of AI tools in the classroom through system-level support.

61.

Encourage peer-learning activities and exchange of good practices, including at European level, on learner-centred and pedagogical uses of AI.

62.

Ensure coherence with the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area, including its focus on quality, equity, inclusion and success for all.

63.

Make good use of the resources offered by the Learning Lab on Investing in Quality Education and Training to support the effective, safe and inclusive use of AI by teachers, while ensuring that participation in the activities of the Learning Lab remains voluntary.

64.

Continue to support teachers’ understanding of AI by promoting dedicated professional learning resources, communities of practice and collaborative projects on the pedagogical, ethical and practical use of AI including through the European School Education Platform, the eTwinning community and the SELFIE for TEACHERS tool, as required.

65.

Promote and support research, experimentation and evidence-building on the use of AI in education and training, as well as its evaluation and optimisation, at national and EU level, to inform policy and pedagogical practice.

66.

Further promote digital citizenship and support engagement in citizenship through AI technologies.