Philippines: DepEd approves AI use in public schools

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The Philippines’ Department of Education (DepEd) said that artificial intelligence (AI) will be allowed for use in public schools following the issuance of the Foundational Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence in Basic Education, known as Department Order No. 003, Series of 2026, the Philippine News Agency reported on February 25.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that AI can serve as a “support tool” in education and teaching, stating, “There’s an ethical use of AI. We will not prohibit the use of AI.”

Under the guidelines released on February 20, teachers, non-teaching personnel, and students will be allowed to utilize AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Grammarly, Quillbot, Canva, Tome, and Khanmigo, provided they follow “ethical, pedagogical, and human-centered standards.”

The DepEd clarified that AI must “strictly function” as a tool and should not replace teachers. It can be used to create and enhance instructional materials, analyze data, check grammar, verify citations in research and data gathering, and assess tools for exams, quizzes, activities, and other evaluations.

The agency stressed that human judgment is critical in all educational matters within public schools. Since AI is classified as “high-risk,” it should be used only under strict safeguards and human oversight for grading, admissions, scholarship decisions, and disciplinary actions. In contrast, the use of chatbots for administrative queries, spam filtering, grammar correction, and IT automation is considered low risk.

“We just need the students to disclose how they use AI so that it can integrated into their learning,” Angara said, stating that the direction will promote responsible use for both students and teachers.

“It’s a graduated policy; the more independent learners will be given greater latitude,” Angara said.

However, the agency imposes prohibitions against the use of AI apps that pose significant risks to rights, safety, and well-being. Among the prohibited applications are AI systems that use biometrics and emotion recognition, as well as manipulative chatbots, among others.

Different outlooks on AI’s ethical use in education

Over the years, there have been debates about the ethical use of AI, particularly in education. In early February, The Conversation released a newsletter discussing whether AI promotes cheating and whether it should be embraced.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is considered an early adopter of AI in Southeast Asia, according to a report by the ASEAN Foundation. The report stated that around 83% of Filipino students use AI tools for educational purposes, while 73% of educators use AI for teaching. This gap is primarily due to generational differences, with younger students being more adaptable to technology.

Additionally, only half of the region’s schools provide essential training and guidance on AI use, leading to low confidence among educators in institutional AI policies.

In 2024, research by Abdulrahman Al-Zahrani identified potential negative impacts of using AI in education, including loss of human connection, data privacy and security concerns, algorithmic bias and discrimination, and a lack of transparency and explainability.

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