Japan Draft Guideline Calls for Limiting Use of Generative AI in Schools

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, June 24, 2023

The government has compiled a draft guideline calling for limiting the use of generative AI in schools, according to government sources. The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry plans to make the draft public after hearing experts’ opinions on the document.

The draft states that it is appropriate for schools to limit use of the emerging technology, which includes ChatGPT. It also flagged “various risks” associated with generative AI, including copyright infringement and the spread of false information.

The sources said the draft provides specific examples of inappropriate use of generative AI in schools that teachers should keep in mind, including using it for such creative activities as writing poetry and haiku, and in regular tests, which could affect students’ grades.

The draft says it is a form of “cheating” to submit book reports or other types of AI-generated materials for competitions while claiming them to be self-created works. It calls on teachers to instill in students that such misconduct “is not conducive to learning and is not in their own interest.”

On the use of texts and other AI-generated output in schools, the draft urges: “Special care must be taken to ensure that copyrights are not infringed.”

One example of appropriate generative AI usage mentioned in the draft is for children to use the technology to help deepen discussions.

There have been calls for teachers’ workloads to be reduced. For this purpose, the draft also includes examples of how teachers can leverage AI in their work, such as by using it as a springboard for creating teaching materials or as a “partner” in mock classes.