Greek secondary school teachers to be trained in using AI in classroom | Greece

Secondary school teachers in Greece are set to undergo an intensive course in using AI tools as Greece remains at the forefront of incorporating AI into the education system.

Next week, staff at 20 schools will be trained on a special version of ChatGPT tailored for academic institutions under a new deal between the centre-right government and OpenAI.

“We must accept that artificial intelligence does not exist in a parallel universe. It is here,” education minister Sofia Zacharaki said in a statement before the launch of the pilot program.

The initiative, which will be expanded nationally in January, makes Greece one of the first countries to pioneer the productive use of artificial intelligence in the classroom.

The workshops will focus on teachers specializing in the new technology, initially to assist with lesson planning, research and personalized education, before ChatGPT Edu is gradually integrated into schools. Officials say access will be strictly monitored when secondary school-aged students are allowed to use the vehicle next spring.

Greece follows Estonia in adopting technology. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ pro-business government aims for Greece to become a tech hub and for Athens to host one of Europe’s first artificial intelligence factories.

Although Mitsotakis has warned of “significant social unrest” if the AI ​​revolution is seen as solely aimed at enriching tech companies, his administration is among the first to devise a national strategy to prepare Greeks “for the developments that any application of this technology will bring.”

In schools where the majority of students already use applications such as ChatGPT, the government operates under the belief that “if you can’t beat the bot, make friends with the bot.”

But the reaction among some Greeks was less enthusiastic.

Secondary school students express fears that if artificial intelligence is allowed to develop unrestricted, it will be “outwitted and controlled”, citing the pressures of an education system that is overly focused on exams.

“This scares me,” said 17-year-old Aristidis Tolos, who attended a demonstration in central Athens partly to protest the direction of education reforms. “They want so much from us, and now this. Artificial intelligence has no soul, it’s a machine.”

Chris Lehane, head of global affairs at OpenAI, said Greece’s commitment to test the chatbot represents a “new educational chapter” for the country. As part of the agreement, the US company promised to monitor the implementation of “best practices for safe and effective classroom use”.

Skeptics worry that Greece is turning into a laboratory of technology, with inherent risks that include the erosion of critical and creative thinking.

At the downtown offices of the secondary school teachers’ federation, Olme, there was consternation at the prospect of this law being implemented.

“This was the main topic of discussion at our last congress, and many people expressed unease,” said senior official Dimitris Aktypis, adding that there were concerns about whether these changes would ultimately lead to “teacherless” classrooms.

Educators also worry that new technology will further increase screen addiction in a country that will soon become the first country in Europe to block social media access for children under 15.

“After 40 years of teaching experience, I can honestly say that screens are destroying children,” said Dimitris Panayiotokopoulos, who retired as an elementary school principal this year. “Artificial intelligence is not a panacea. If children are given spoon-fed answers, it poses a major threat to critical thinking.”

He said the government should instead focus on improving facilities in a country where less than 5 percent of the budget is allocated to the education sector despite decades-old demands for increases.

“In winter you see children shivering in classrooms because we are only allowed to turn on the heating for an hour,” Panayiotokopoulos said. “They talk about the digital age, but often basic things like electricity and sockets don’t work. This is a terrible situation that needs to be addressed urgently.”

Olme represents 85,000 teachers, mostly permanent staff, who speak of a culture ingrained in classrooms of rote learning.

“We shouldn’t be technophobic. After all, artificial intelligence can help educators be more effective,” said middle school physics teacher Panos Karagiorgos.

“But using artificial intelligence in a system whose sole purpose is to produce students who can pass exams is problematic. There is no interest in schools producing well-rounded children, which in itself stifles creativity.”

Until now, artificial intelligence was only used in private schools in Greece. Athens College, alma mater of many Greek leaders including Mitsotakis, was among the first to use artificial intelligence to assist in course design and teaching.

“I think Greece should not miss this passing train,” said Alexis Phylactopoulos, chairman of the school’s board of directors, adding that he wholeheartedly supports the integration of artificial intelligence into the national curriculum if critical thinking and creativity are preserved.

“There is no easy answer to AI. It needs to be used as a tool in education and with many guardrails.”