Trainings on Generative AI in Schools: announcements by Elisabeth Borne and uncertainties

Generative AI in the classroom. Image generated by Le Chat Mistral AI

Generative AI in schools: What to expect

In an effort to adapt to the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence, Élisabeth Borne, Minister of National Education, unveiled an ambitious plan on February 7: starting in the 2025 school year, eighth and tenth-grade students will dive into the world of generative artificial intelligence. The goal? To sensitize them to the issues of this revolutionary technology and teach them to use it ethically and responsibly.
Indeed, it is high time to intelligently accompany this deployment when almost all secondary school students already use AI to do their homework, while only 20% of teachers have adopted generative AI. But will the announcement live up to the ambitions? We would be pleasantly surprised, given the fate of the MIA platform, which was supposed to be deployed in September 2024 and is still in the testing phase. Designed based on adaptive learning technology, its results seem limited compared to the possibilities offered by generative AI systems.

Pix: The platform of the digital revolution

These innovative courses will be integrated into the Pix platform, a modern tool that assesses and develops digital skills. Replacing the B2i, Pix will offer sessions accessible to all secondary school students and teachers. Each session will begin with a diagnostic of knowledge, followed by interactive learning modules lasting from 30 minutes to an hour and a half. Teachers will play a key role in supervising these courses, which will address AI biases and technological limitations.

A revolution in progress

For Élisabeth Borne, generative AI is not just a trend; it is a revolution that is already transforming our learning and teaching methods. A charter for the use of AI in schools will be published in the spring, following an in-depth consultation with teachers, parents, students, and unions. This charter will provide valuable guidelines for teachers, enabling them to integrate AI into their course preparation while remaining in control of the content.

AI tools for National Education

National Education is not stopping there. Two artificial intelligence tools are in development:

• Sovereign AI for teachers: A call for tenders worth 20 million euros will be launched in the summer of 2025 to create a sovereign and evolving AI. This tool will assist teachers in preparing courses, evaluating students, and correcting homework. It should be operational for the 2026-2027 school year.
• Administrative assistance: Another AI is being developed to help human resource managers answer administrative questions, freeing up time for more human and personalized tasks.

Project timeline

Project timeline – image generated by the French AI Le Chat de Mistral AI – Result obtained after two attempts to request texts in French only on the image.

• 1. Initial announcement (February 2025)
     • Date: February 2025
     • Description: Élisabeth Borne announces the introduction of mandatory courses on generative AI for eighth and tenth-grade students starting in the 2025 school year.
  2. Consultation with stakeholders (Spring 2025)
     • Date: Spring 2025
     • Description: Ongoing consultation with teachers, parents, students, and unions to gather opinions and concerns. This step is essential for developing a charter for the use of AI in schools.
     • Uncertainty: The exact duration of this consultation phase is not specified, which could influence the timeline of subsequent steps.
  3. Publication of the AI usage Charter (Spring 2025)
     • Date: Spring 2025 (after the consultation)
     • Description: Publication of a charter for the use of AI in schools, including guidelines for teachers.
     • Uncertainty: The exact publication date will depend on the results of the consultation.
  4. Teacher training (after charter publication)
     • Date: After the charter publication (probably summer 2025)
     • Description: Training sessions for teachers to help them use AI in course preparation and to answer students’ questions.
     • Uncertainty: The exact training schedule will depend on the finalization of the charter and the availability of resources to organize these sessions.
  5. Launch of the Call for projects for a sovereign AI (Summer 2025)
     • Date: Summer 2025
     • Description: Launch of a 20 million euro call for projects to develop a sovereign, open, and evolving AI to assist teachers.
     • Uncertainty: The deadlines for responding to the call for projects and developing the sovereign AI may vary.
  6. Start of Generative AI courses (2025 school year)
     • Date: Start of the 2025 school year
     • Description: Beginning of mandatory courses on generative AI via the Pix platform for eighth and tenth-grade students.
     • Uncertainty: The preparation of teachers and the availability of tools could influence the smooth running of the courses from the start of the school year.
  7. Development and testing of the sovereign AI (2025-2026)
     • Date: 2025-2026
     • Description: Development of the sovereign AI and testing in certain academies.
     • Uncertainty: The development and testing timelines may vary depending on the results of the call for projects.
  8. National deployment of the sovereign AI (2026-2027 school year)
     • Date: Start of the 2026-2027 school year
     • Description: National deployment of the sovereign AI to assist teachers and human resource managers.
     • Uncertainty: Deployment could be delayed depending on the results of the tests and necessary adjustments.