Why Schools Need to Move Beyond “Using AI” and Start Making Better Decisions About It
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk
Artificial intelligence is no longer something schools are considering whether to engage with. That conversation has already happened.
Students are using AI every day, while teachers are still experimenting with it. School leaders are weighing up new platforms, policies and possibilities almost weekly, but the challenge now is not whether AI belongs in education, but how schools make smart, informed decisions in a fast-moving landscape.
Students are often ahead of teachers with new technologies
One of the biggest changes schools are now facing is that many young people are already confident AI users.
Students are using AI to revise, research, generate ideas, solve problems and support coursework. In some cases, they are discovering new tools before teachers have even heard of them.
That changes the dynamic.
Schools are no longer introducing students to AI for the first time. Instead, they are trying to understand how to guide, challenge and educate students who may already be engaging with these technologies independently.
The question is no longer whether students should use AI. It is how they should use it responsibly, how schools continue to develop critical thinking in an age of instant answers, and how young people learn to question what is accurate, ethical and trustworthy.
These are leadership questions as much as technology questions.
The real challenge is choosing the right tool for you
The number of AI tools aimed at education is growing rapidly. Every week seems to bring new platforms promising to save time, personalise learning or transform teaching.
Some tools are genuinely useful. Others create more noise than value.
For schools, the challenge is not adopting everything, but knowing which tools are worth investing time in. It’s important for schools to discover where AI can genuinely reduce workload, what creates risk, and what aligns with the values and priorities of the school itself.
A rushed approach can create confusion. But avoiding the conversation altogether is no longer realistic either.
The schools making the most progress are not necessarily the ones moving fastest. They are the ones building understanding, developing confidence and making informed choices.
AI is changing what future-ready education looks like
As AI becomes embedded across industries, the skills young people need are evolving too.
Knowledge still matters, but so do judgement, creativity, communication, adaptability and the ability to think critically about information and technology.
Students entering future workplaces will almost certainly work alongside AI systems in some form, whether in business, healthcare, engineering, finance, media or the creative industries.
Schools therefore have an important role not only in teaching students how to use technology, but in helping them understand its limitations, risks and ethical implications.
That requires confidence from educators themselves.
Schools need space to learn, question and explore
For many school leaders, the difficulty is not lack of interest. It is a lack of time, clarity and trusted guidance.
AI moves quickly and the messaging around it is often extreme, with it being presented as either presenting a miracle solution or a major threat.
Most schools are looking for something more practical, where they can have honest conversations, hear real examples from trusted expertise and find opportunities to learn from others navigating the same challenges. That’s where BRILLIANT comes in.
Ultimately, schools do not need to become technology companies, but they do need to understand the world students are growing up in.
Leading with confidence, not pressure
The schools best placed for the future are unlikely to be the ones chasing every new AI trend.
They will be the schools asking better questions:
What genuinely improves teaching and learning?
What supports staff wellbeing and workload?
What helps students develop the skills they actually need?
What fits the values of the school community?
AI is already part of education. The opportunity now is not simply to adopt it, but to lead thoughtfully and confidently through the changes it brings.
How BRILLIANT Festival can help schools stay ahead
BRILLIANT Festival brings together educators, industry leaders and innovators to explore the trends shaping the future of learning and work.
Rather than focusing on hype, BRILLIANT helps schools make sense of what matters, offering practical insights, real-world perspectives and meaningful conversations around areas such as AI, future careers, leadership and innovation.
For schools navigating rapid change, BRILLIANT provides an opportunity to step back from the noise, hear from trusted voices and gain the confidence to make informed decisions about what comes next.