AI and Tech in Education

Legal advice on all aspects of AI and technology in education

Forward thinking schools and universities have a long history of embracing technological change - both to improve the delivery and quality of education, and to ensure that learners are best placed to benefit from the opportunities that those technologies will give them in their future careers.

Advances in technology present both opportunities and challenges for educators. Those opportunities and challenges have never been in sharper focus than they are now, with the rapid development and deployment of generative AI technologies and products. VWV's education and technology specialists will help you to embrace those opportunities, and navigate the challenges.

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Expert legal advice wherever AI and technology impacts your organisation

The challenges and opportunities presented by AI and Technology for educators touch on many areas of operation, and therefore many legal specialisms on which VWV is able to support you:

• Policies and guidance - educators will need to develop policies, guidance and processes for the responsible and ethical use of AI - and in many cases, existing policies and guidance will need to be updated to reflect the impact of AI. Those policies will touch on areas including appropriate use (for staff and students), behaviour and discipline, accessibility, assessments, safeguarding/online risks, data privacy, academic integrity, and intellectual property, among others.
• Data privacy and security - the use of AI tools in connection with, for example, assessment, recruitment and admissions (among many other use cases) will often require the sharing and processing of personal data. An understanding of how these products work is crucial in ensuring compliance with data protection obligations.
• Licensing and contracting - there is an increasing proliferation of providers and tools offering AI-based solutions to educators. Schools and universities will need to think carefully about which tools they wish to use, and carry out appropriate diligence on the organisations that they engage with, ensuring that contracts provide appropriate levels of protection and accountability, and that they follow rapidly developing best practice in this area.
• Employee engagement - one of the key benefits of the deployment of AI and other technologies in the workplace is likely to be the facilitation of 'routine' tasks, and the availability of products which save time and support staff in the delivery of their roles. We are able to support you in ensuring the compliant implementation of planned changes, including in respect of engaging with your workforce on the proposals, and governing how new technology is used in the workplace.
• Recruitment - one of the major ways employers are using AI is in order to automate parts of the recruitment process. If this is something you are considering, we can advise you on the implications in respect of data protection law, equality law and your safer recruitment obligations.

Blending a deep understanding of the education and technology sectors

Our technology specialists work with both users and providers of a broad range of technology products.

We support schools, universities and other businesses in contracting with a wide range of technology providers, including traditional and cloud/SaaS software models, hosting, support and maintenance arrangements, and data management providers. We also support cutting edge software businesses in ensuring regulatory compliance, and in developing contractual arrangements that support their particular business models - including in the development and deployment of AI-based products.

Our position as leading advisers to education institutions and technology businesses enables us to provide educators with the benefit of a deep understanding of the overlap between these sectors.

Keeping you abreast of changing regulation

We understand the regulatory environment in which educators operate, and the additional layer of complexity that this regulatory environment brings when considering how best to embrace new technologies. We understand the capabilities of some of the education-focused technology and AI products which are being made available to educators, and are able to apply our understanding of education regulation to questions around the implementation of those technologies.

We are particularly conscious of the challenges that regulators face in developing frameworks which can keep pace with the speed of technological development. In turn, we understand the challenges that this lack of regulatory certainty can bring for educators. We can support you in navigating existing education and technology regulation as well as understanding new regulation as it develops.

Read Our Introducation to AI in Education

Automate and simplify key compliance tasks

Under VWV Plus we offer a range of cost-effective solutions to help you resolve and manage your legal needs, manage compliance and implement best practice.

All of our offerings combine software with our legal knowledge and are designed to save you time and resource. Many of our VWV Plus products have been created to streamline processes in the main risk areas such as:

• eLearning to offer staff training in key compliance areas and easily manage completion online together with the functionality to easily create your own in-house learning.

• Policy Tracker to enable you to share an unlimited number of key documents or policies with staff, track online that they have been read and automate reminders.

• Review for effective staff appraisals to encourage achievement of objectives aligned to your school’s development plan

For legal advice from experienced lawyers supporting educators with technology and AI, please contact Edward Rimmell on 07788 313 299 or make an enquiry below.