The Ministry of Education (MEC) approved the national guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Brazilian education on Tuesday (10). The rules cover everything from early childhood education to higher education and establish limits on the use of the technology by students, teachers, and educational institutions.
One of the main changes in relation to the opinion approved by the National Education Council (CNE) in September is the authorization for AI tools to assist in grading essay questions. The final grade, however, must remain the responsibility of teachers.
According to the rapporteur of the document, the previous version did not make it clear whether the use of AI in this type of assessment was prohibited.The amendment aims to enable technology to be used as a support tool, provided there is human supervision.
The guidelines also stipulate that automated systems may not entirely replace the work of education professionals or assume responsibility for pedagogical decisions.
How will AI be used in basic education?
The rules establish different conditions for the use of technology according to the students’ age and educational stage.
Early childhood education
Children at this stage will not be allowed to use AI systems, even with mediation by teachers.
Education professionals, on the other hand, may use these tools for planning, pedagogical management, and accessibility, provided the resources are used to eliminate barriers to learning.
Elementary education – early years (1st through 5th grade)
The use of AI will be permitted exclusively in planned pedagogical activities conducted and mediated by education professionals.
Students will not be allowed to access the systems directly, either independently or without supervision.Interaction with generative or conversational tools is also prohibited, even when accompanied by teachers.
An exception involves assistive technologies and resources intended to eliminate learning barriers, which are subject to specific conditions set forth in the guidelines.
Elementary education – final years (6th to 9th grade)
At this stage, generative AI tools may be used in educational activities mediated by education professionals. However, direct, individual, autonomous, or unsupervised access by students will remain prohibited.
The document also determines that teaching about AI be progressively incorporated into the curriculum, together with content on digital, media, and computational education.
The proposal is to prepare students to understand how these tools work, identify possible biases, verify information, and distinguish technological assistance from their own intellectual production.
The change aims to allow technology to be used as a support tool, provided there is human supervision – Image: MR SOCCER / Shutterstock
Read more:
- Ask for a castle and the AI builds it: Musk predicts an era of technological abundance
- Adobe brings AI tools to Windows 11 Photos; see what changes
- Google’s AI analyzes Signal code in search of security flaws
What changes for the use of AI in high school?
- For high school students, the guidelines do not establish a specific prohibition on the individual use of AI tools, as occurs in the final years of elementary school;
- Technology may support teaching and learning activities, personalize exercises, and assist in monitoring students, provided that pedagogical objectives and human supervision are respected;
- In the case of assessments, AI may perform preparatory pre-correction of essays and open-ended tests. This analysis, however, may not independently produce grades or scores, nor replace the teacher’s assessment;
- The rules also stipulate that student data may not be used for targeted advertising, the creation of commercial profiles, or marketing exploitation;
- Another objective is to develop students’ critical thinking and intellectual autonomy, so that they can evaluate information produced by automated systems and recognize the limits of technology.
Universities will have to create their own rules for AI
In higher education, institutions may use AI in teaching, research, and extension activities. The technology may also be an object of study and academic investigation.
Universities and other institutions must establish their own policies to regulate the use of these tools. The rules may be incorporated into pedagogical projects, statutes, academic regulations, and institutional development plans.
One of the central points is transparency.Institutions shall define in which situations students and researchers must disclose their use of AI in academic work and activities.
In scientific research, for example, its use must be disclosed when the tool’s contribution is relevant to drafting texts, analyzing data, conducting literature reviews, programming, or completing other stages of the investigation.
The guidelines also make clear that AI systems cannot be considered authors of academic or scientific work. Responsibility for the content and results will remain with students, professors, and researchers.
In university management, automated tools may assist with planning, analyzing indicators, and identifying risks of dropout. However, decisions that significantly affect students’ rights or academic trajectories may not be made exclusively by AI systems.
Finally, bachelor’s degree programs shall include content on digital literacy, the pedagogical use of emerging technologies, critical analysis of educational data, and the ethical aspects of AI.
The use of AI in education is already a reality in Brazil
The guidelines are approved in a context where AI is already part of the daily lives of many Brazilian students.
According to the 15th edition of the TIC Education survey, 37% of basic education students said they use generative AI tools in school research.However, only 19% said they received some kind of guidance from teachers on the use of technology.
Under the new rules, the MEC seeks to establish national parameters for a practice that is already taking place in schools and universities, balancing the benefits of AI with human supervision, data protection, and pedagogical responsibility.
Rodrigo Mozelli is a journalist graduated from São Paulo Methodist University (UMESP) and is currently a writer at Olhar Digital.
