EU paper says AI can improve work without improving learning
A European Commission staff paper reviewed the evidence on generative AI in schools. A second found about a third of European school systems have AI skills in the lower secondary curriculum. Few list its safe use among skills for new teachers.
The European Commission published two reports on 22 September 2026 on generative AI and digital skills in European schools.
The first is a staff paper called "Friend or foe?", which reviews existing studies. It says AI can help students complete tasks but may not build knowledge. It says tools designed for learning generally do better than general-purpose tools.
The paper states that its views are not necessarily the Commission's own. It adds that most of the evidence comes from outside the EU.
The paper cites Eurostat figures showing that four in ten people aged 16 to 24 in the EU used generative AI for formal education in 2025. Use ranged from 59.4% in Spain to 17.6% in Germany. It also cites PISA 2025: 15-year-olds across the EU who often use AI to summarise texts scored 18 points lower in science than those who do not do so often. That figure is an association and does not prove that AI caused the gap.
The second is a Eurydice report covering 38 education systems, which do not include the UK. It says nearly two thirds refer to AI in top-level policy documents, binding or not. Around a third include AI skills in the lower secondary curriculum.
For teachers, both reports point to a training gap. The staff paper says 29.7% of teachers in the EU systems surveyed took part in training on AI for teaching in the 12 months before the TALIS 2024 survey. Eurydice says only seven systems include safe and ethical AI use in the skills expected of new teachers. The staff paper also says AI cannot replace a parent's everyday support.
The Commission said the findings will feed into a coming Education Package on basic skills, teachers and digital infrastructure. Its announcement gives no date. The staff paper says the long-term effect of generative AI on skills is still unclear.
Sources
- European Commission New reports examine how AI and digital technologies are shaping education in Europe
- Publications Office of the EU Friend or foe? Evidence from the use of generative artificial intelligence in learning and teaching
- Eurydice Digital education at school in Europe 2026: bridging gaps in access, teaching and learning