The government unveiled its AI Action Plan on Tuesday, including announcing that 16 tools are being developed to unlock teachers’ time, backed by £1m of funding.

We're pleased to see the Government's focus on AI and its potential to equip our country – and especially young people – to take a leading role in tomorrow's world.

As this rapidly developing field continues to emerge, we must ensure that all young people can access AI training opportunities.

• As a starting point, we must address the digital divide. 1 in 4 young people do not have access to a laptop or similar device. Equal access to technology is essential to unlock AI’s potential for everyone, which will in turn generate greater economic growth.

• It is great to see the use of AI in schools to aid teacher marking and lesson planning referenced in the AI Opportunities Action Plan. All teachers and pupils need support to build the skills to productively use AI in the classroom and beyond. We need teachers to be trained in digital skills including AI, and we need to ensure the curriculum keeps pace with the rate of change to ensure all young people are supported to build skills in AI. This isn’t just about technical proficiency – it’s about fostering critical thinking, creativity, and ethical understanding in a rapidly changing world.

We must work together to ensure that no-one gets left behind in the AI revolution.