EDDS Achieves Institute Status: Commitment to Quality and Ethical AI in Education

In a much-needed advancement for the educational sector, EDDS has achieved community interest status. This change signifies a commitment to serving children and young people effectively. With rapid technological changes, ensuring that education remains high-quality, accessible and ethically sound is more important than ever.

'It takes a village to raise a child': EDDS's commitment to community

As we navigate the digital age, educational tools—especially those powered by artificial intelligence (AI)—must be not only effective, but also lawful, ethical and safe. Our responsibility is to ensure that the educational technology (ed-tech) products utilised in classrooms create a positive learning environment in safe manner. Many teachers today generally believe that digital tools can support their teaching practices if they are used thoughtfully. But digital technologies are jnlike any other tool that has so far entered the classroom. These systems are mostly proprietary, complex, and continually evolving, with limited understanding of their operation, limitations, and risks related to data collection and manipulation. Additionally, they can nudge, assess and influence teaching and learning activities with little control by the 'user' (student or teacher).

Community Interest Status: A Step Forward

EDDS’s new status as an institute marks a significant milestone in its mission. This designation allows EDDS to engage deeper with the community, providing tailored support to educational systems and the ed-tech/AI for education (AIED) industry with regards to governance, legal and ethical dimensions.

The integration of technology and education is now commonplace, but it also raises vital questions about safety and ethics for children, teachers, and education as a public service. For example, a survey by the Pew Research Center found that a growing number of parents (40%) express concerns about the data privacy of their children when using educational technology. EDDS has long aimed to address such concerns by working directly with industry in meeting minimum appropriate standards.

Ensuring Quality in a Digitised Education

As digital learning environments become more prevalent, maintaining quality assurance-and providing external validation-is crucial. EDDS is committed to ensuring that all AI-based tools and educational products meet high standards. This requires robust evaluations, ongoing feedback, and a steadfast dedication from industry to learning and improving the design of their products and that their values align with education systems' values and commitment to children's wellbeing and learning success.

To achieve this, EDDS has developed a comprehensive framework for assessing ed-tech products. These guidelines cover key areas such as data privacy, age-appropriate designs, digital accessibility and wellbeing, cybersecurity standards.

By emphasising ethical AIED and ed-tech, EDDS aims to create an educational environment where technology enhances learning while adhering to safety and ethical standards.

Engaging with the Community

The transition to an institute with community interest status also allows EDDS to build partnerships with schools, educators, and other stakeholders. Collaborating with these entities as it has already been happening the past few years, further facilitates the sharing of best practices in technology use. By engaging directly with students and schools, EDDS can better understand their needs and concerns and translating this into updating the framework and working in a more targeted manner with ed-tech and AIED industry.

Community engagement efforts include initiatives to raise awareness about the implications of AI in classrooms. By promoting discussions on ethical uses of technology, EDDS seeks to ensure that responsible technology integration becomes a collective goal among educators, parents, and students. This collaborative approach can drive meaningful change in educational settings.

Working with Industry

EDDS works with industry to guide them on how to meet AI legislation, specifically the EU AI Act, which comes into full force in August 2025. The work includes assisting industry representatives in conducting risk assessments and demonstrating assurance that appropriate guardrails have been established to ensure compliance and safety in AI deployment.

Moving Forward Together

Achieving community interest status is not merely a recognition for EDDS; it symbolizes a firm commitment to high-quality and ethical standards in education. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, EDDS is ready to make significant impacts determined that children and young people benefit from technology in safe, lawful and enriching ways.