By 2030, Russia plans to implement a national artificial intelligence (AI) system that will support schoolchildren and teachers. Currently, the project is in the development stage. This was announced by the Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov at the Forum of Class Leaders.
According to him, the concept of the system will be developed in collaboration with other departments, including the Ministry of Digital Development and leading AI developers in the country. Kravtsov emphasized that AI will never replace the teacher. He explained that traditional forms of education will remain in force, and information technologies will be used as an auxiliary resource.
The Minister recalled the transition of schoolchildren to distance learning during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, noting that at the first opportunity they returned to traditional education. According to him, AI is a powerful tool, but it must be used carefully.
The domestic AI system should help schoolchildren, but not in order to cheat on tests.
President Vladimir Putin earlier this year instructed the government to develop proposals for the use of AI for additional training of schoolchildren. The Ministry of Education reported that they are working on creating a \"modern and safe digital educational environment\", ensuring equal access to quality education.
Vice-Rector for AI at RWB University, Armen Beklaryan, noted that the integration of technology into education is important, but it is necessary to avoid increasing the burden on teachers. He believes that AI can perform the functions of an assistant, which will help maintain a high level of training for schoolchildren, especially in primary grades.
The creation of a national AI system will require significant effort in the training and configuration phase, says Sergey Karaev, Deputy Director for Quality of Education at the Novy Vzglyad private school. He stressed that the system must comply with educational standards, but it will not be possible to completely eliminate errors in the answers. Karaev also noted the importance of training teachers and students, as well as developing their critical thinking skills when working with an AI assistant.