Two new European Commission reports say generative artificial intelligence is becoming more widely used in education across the EU, while schools and governments take differing approaches to digital technology in classrooms.
One report, titled "Friend or foe? Evidence from the use of generative artificial intelligence in learning and teaching," describes generative AI — tools that can produce text, images or other content in response to prompts — as moving “slowly but steadily” from a new technology into a more mainstream feature of learning and teaching.
Whether it improves learning outcomes depends on how it is used, and its longer-term effect on skills remains unclear, the European Commission said in a release on Tuesday.
Teachers need substantial initial and ongoing training to use generative AI effectively, supported by institutional guidelines for responsible use.
The second publication, "Digital education at school in Europe 2026: Bridging gaps in access, teaching and learning," examines how European education systems are responding to digital transformation.
Gaps in access and support
Most education systems covered in the report address core digital infrastructure, but there are still differences in access at school level, technical support, and digital learning environments, the Commission said.
Digital competence is included in lower-secondary curricula across almost all systems analysed, while national or standardised assessment of those skills remains uncommon.
Nearly two-thirds of education systems have developed strategies, guidance or other policy frameworks addressing artificial intelligence.
The Commission said the findings will feed into its work on the Union of Skills and provide evidence for a forthcoming Education Package covering basic skills, teachers and trainers, and digital education infrastructure.
The reports draw on a recent OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report — an international study that compares the performance of 15-year-olds.
“Digital technologies, including Generative artificial intelligence are rapidly changing how we live, work and learn,” Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills Roxana Mînzatu said.
Risks around “bias, privacy, and overreliance” also need to be addressed, she added.
