Generative AI Reshapes Global Education and Raises Questions About the Future of Exams

Educational institutions in the United States, Europe, and Asia are integrating generative artificial intelligence tools into their curricula, utilizing platforms such as Khan Academy Khanmigo, Chegg, and Duolingo Max, which rely on GPT models to provide personalized, interactive explanations for each student; UNESCO statistics indicate that more than 60% of students in developed countries tried an AI tool in their education during 2024.

Institutional reactions vary noticeably; New York City public schools banned the use of ChatGPT and later reversed their decision, while universities such as MIT and Stanford allowed its deployment for specific assignments while establishing explicit policies for academic integrity, and companies like Turnitin stand out in developing tools to detect machine-generated text.

Researchers observe a dual risk; on one hand, these tools enable students with limited resources to access high-quality personalized education, while on the other hand, they entice laziness and weaken critical thinking and independent writing skills, which are core educational goals.

The Arab Gulf states are giving this matter strategic importance; Saudi Arabia is launching partnerships with global tech companies to integrate AI into public education, while the UAE has announced initiatives to train teachers on using these tools. Education experts believe that the real challenge lies not in prohibiting these tools, but in redesigning assessments to measure thinking skills rather than mere information recall.

What do these terms mean?

Generative AI: A type of artificial intelligence capable of creating new text, images, and programming code based on training on massive amounts of data, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

Khanmigo: An intelligent educational assistant developed by Khan Academy that provides interactive explanations to students using a Socratic method, asking questions instead of giving direct answers to stimulate thinking.

Academic Integrity: A system of values and behaviors that ensures academic work is authentic and honest, including avoiding cheating and plagiarism in all its forms, such as undisclosed use of artificial intelligence.