After two years of uncertainty the AI Advisory Council’s guidance paper on Education finally offers Irish educators something tangible—a preliminary roadmap for integrating AI into our education system. But is this the decisive turning point we’ve awaited, or merely the first tentative step in a longer, more arduous journey?
As a current secondary teacher who has witnessed the digital revolution unfolding daily in students’ lives, I’ve persistently argued for structured frameworks governing AI use. The stark reality is that most Irish teenagers already have instant access to what I term their personal “homework genie” —AI tools embedded within apps like Snapchat’s MyAI—while their teachers often lag behind, unprepared and unsure.
The Four Pillars We’ve Been Waiting For
The Council’s Advice Paper proposes four urgent recommendations that must move swiftly from rhetoric to reality:
1. Coordinated, Dynamic Guidelines
The recognition of the necessity for “live,” adaptive guidelines reflects an overdue acknowledgment of a fundamental truth: static policies simply cannot keep pace in a landscape characterised by breathtakingly rapid technological evolution. AI tools like Claude’s Research Assistant, ChatGPT’s Deep Research, and Perplexity evolve weekly, rendering traditional annual policy reviews obsolete.
Yet, despite this clear need for dynamic guidelines, significant questions continue to trouble educators. During my training sessions, teachers consistently raise critical, unanswered issues:
- How exactly should students reference AI-generated content?
- Where is the boundary between acceptable AI assistance and plagiarism?
- How do we ensure fairness when some students have premium AI tools, creating uneven advantages?
It is imperative these proposed guidelines directly address these pressing concerns—and the many others teachers urgently need clarified.
2. Comprehensive Teacher Training
The emphasis placed by the advisory paper on mandatory AI literacy training at all educational levels correctly identifies teacher CPD as foundational. Without equipping educators properly, we condemn them—and by extension, their students—to navigating unknown terrain blindly.
I’ve seen first-hand the shocked expressions on educators’ faces when witnessing current AI capabilities. We must urgently address this knowledge gap, or we risk falling irretrievably behind our AI using students.
3. Equitable, Inclusive Access
Perhaps the most critical recommendation is the pledge to ensure private, secure, and universally accessible AI tools. Proper Irish language support for Gaelscoileanna must also be prioritised. Without genuine equity, we risk widening existing educational inequalities.
This issue becomes particularly urgent with the September 2025 rollout of the reformed Leaving Certificate curriculum and new assessment models in Science and Business. Teachers nationwide express growing anxiety about the absence of structured guidance, training and equitable AI access for students as they approach these transformative changes.
4. National Dialogue and Collaboration
The paper rightly calls for structured conversations between stakeholders—teachers, students, parents, policymakers, tech companies, and unions. Effective AI integration demands collective responsibility and collaboration. However, the pace of technological developments contrasts sharply with the sluggish reality currently experienced by educators.
From Recommendations to Reality: Beyond Words to Action
While the advisory paper represents clear progress, we must acknowledge its limitations. Spanning just a few pages, it offers a broad framework rather than the detailed, practical guidance educators urgently need.
The Council’s statement is clear: “The importance and urgency of doing this cannot be overstated” (AI Advisory Council, 2025, p.3). With this roadmap established, it is imperative that the government swiftly acts on these recommendations. The clock is ticking and concrete steps are overdue.
Patrick Hickey (@aiteachingguru on all major social media) is an AI CPD Provider, Media Contributer, Current Teacher, Assistant Principal in Boherbue Comprehensive School, Co. Cork.
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