ع
The UAE Ministry of Education circulated the Safe and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Classrooms 2026 guide to all schools across the country. The document sets out 25 prohibitions governing generative AI applications in educational settings with a core restriction preventing any use by students under the age of 13 or those enrolled in grades below Grade 7. Ministry officials cited approved age-appropriateness standards together with concerns over possible behavioural and educational impacts as the basis for the age limit according to Gulf News reporting on the regulations.
Students remain barred from submitting assignments projects or reports produced by AI tools without explicit disclosure under the new rules the ministry stated. Complete reliance on AI to generate work is deemed to undermine authentic academic effort and is therefore prohibited. A total ban also applies to AI assistance during all examinations and assessments including any rephrasing of AI-generated content that fails to demonstrate the student’s own understanding.
A 2025 study published in the journal Education Sciences found that 95.6 percent of surveyed students reported using AI technologies for academic activities with virtual assistants such as ChatGPT proving the most popular at 88.2 percent adoption. The research indicated that 57.6 percent of respondents employed these tools on a weekly basis while another 18.8 percent used them daily. Such widespread integration prompted the ministry to establish clear boundaries particularly for younger learners according to the guide’s framework.
The regulations form part of the ministry’s broader implementation of an Artificial Intelligence curriculum across public schools for the 2025-26 academic year. That curriculum seeks to equip students with skills to apply AI ethically including lessons on bias algorithms plagiarism and prompt engineering a Ministry of Education strategy document outlined. The prohibitions align with the UAE Charter for the Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence issued in 2024 which emphasises responsible deployment and protection of users according to official policy records.
Reports from the Center for Democracy and Technology highlighted related concerns in educational environments noting that 70 percent of teachers worry AI use weakens critical thinking and research skills among students. Additional data from a 2025 global review showed that while 85 percent of teachers and 86 percent of students engaged with AI tools during the 2024-25 school year half of students felt less connected to instructors as a result. The UAE measures address these issues by prioritising age-appropriate safeguards in the national school system.
School leadership teams must review and align internal policies with the ministry’s guide annually in coordination with relevant authorities. The framework covers both public and private institutions nationwide ensuring uniform application of the 25 prohibitions. Educators received instructions to focus on developing genuine student competencies rather than permitting unchecked AI dependence in classroom activities.
