DfE is to create a £3m data store providing information to support the creation of tools by artificial intelligence companies, which can also win extra funding for the best ideas

The government has announced a £4m project to provide education data to artificial intelligence firms – in the hope of creating tools that will help teachers plan lessons and mark pupils’ work.

The initiative will centre on  a £3m “content store” for specialist education technology firms that will “pool government documents including curriculum guidance, lesson plans and anonymised pupil assessments”, according to a government press release.

This information “will then be used by AI companies to train their tools, so they generate accurate, high-quality content – like tailored, creative lesson plans and workbooks – that can be reliably used in schools”.

The intention is that the firms in question will “build tools which will help teachers mark work, create teaching materials for use in the classroom and assist with routine school admin”. 

The remaining £1m allocated to the project is set aside to award to “AI companies… [that] bring forward the best ideas to put the data into practice to reduce teacher workload”.

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Applications for a slice of this money open on 9 September, and will remain open to March 2025.

Alongside the announcement of the AI project, the Department for Education also unveiled the results of tests that demonstrate that “providing generative AI models with this kind of data can increase accuracy to 92%, up from 67% when no targeted data was provided”, according to the government.

Secretary of state for science, innovation and technology Peter Kyle said: “We know teachers work tirelessly to go above and beyond for their students. By making AI work for them, this project aims to ease admin burdens and help them deliver creative and inspiring lessons every day, while reducing time pressures they face. This is the first of many projects that will transform how we see and use public sector data. We will put the information we hold to work, using it in a safe and responsible way to reduce waiting lists, cut backlogs and improve outcomes for citizens across the country.”

Minister for early education Stephen Morgan added: “We are determined to break down the barriers to opportunity to ensure every child can get the best possible education – and that includes access to the best tech innovations for all. Artificial Intelligence, when made safe and reliable, represents an exciting opportunity to give our schools leaders and teachers a helping hand with classroom life. 

“Today’s world-leading announcement marks a huge step forward for AI in the classroom. This investment will allow us to safely harness the power of tech to make it work for our hard-working teachers, easing the pressures and workload burdens we know are facing the profession and freeing up time, allowing them to focus on face-to-face teaching.”