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EdChat AI tool, built in partnership with Microsoft, to exit trial stage and become a feature of high school classrooms from next term.
The South Australian government has announced it will roll out its years-in-development EdChat AI tool to all public high schools from the next term of school.
“AI will be a part of our work and lives in the future, which means we have a responsibility to educate young people and our staff about its appropriate and effective use,” Blair Boyer, state Minister for Education, Training and Skills, said in a statement.
“In South Australia, we have embraced the technology, rather than attempt to ignore it and ban it.
“We would be doing a disservice to our students otherwise, given AI is now part of people’s lives. This is why we have worked with Microsoft to develop a safe version for use in schools that teaches them how to use AI responsibly and effectively.”
Boyer said that a lot had been learned from the recent trial, and it’s now time to expand the rollout.
“We are using AI to transform our education. Students are not only learning how to use it responsibly, but they are using it to better understand information, master their skills and think critically about different perspectives,” Boyer said.
“This work puts South Australia on the cutting-edge of AI, leading the way on both a global and national scale and I’m really pleased to see other jurisdictions now following our lead.”
EdChat has been in development since 2023 and is purpose-built for South Australian schools. The ChatGPT-like platform features security protections to protect students from harmful information and interactions, and has already been trialled by more than 10,000 students in the state.
Sarah Chambers, Principal of Adelaide Botanic High School, said that her school was pleased to participate in the EdChat trial run.
“Our school is a living ecosystem for ethical innovation – where EdChat serves as a tool to enhance, not replace, the relationships that sit at the heart of education,” Chambers said.
“We work with our students to use EdChat, not to take shortcuts, but to challenge themselves, ask better questions, and develop their own voice and creativity.
“Using EdChat, they reflect, collaborate, and think critically, so they are not just learning content, they are learning how to learn.”
School staff and teachers use EdChat to assist in lesson planning and to reduce administrative workloads, while students use the platform to test their language skills, to seek career guidance, and break down tasks.
“We're proud to use technology to support meaningful learning and to champion a future-focussed approach grounded in innovation and global thinking,” Chambers said.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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