AI
AI literacy is the next digital literacy SALLY HODGSON, Head of Training at Wavenet Education, shares her insights in the first
of three columns for Education Today.
AI has already found its way into the classroom. Students are increasingly using AI assistance to explain complex concepts, refine ideas, condense information and support their learning.
Much of the conversation around AI in education focuses on cheating, plagiarism and misuse. While those are important considerations, the bigger challenge is ensuring young people have the skills to use AI effectively. AI literacy is no longer an optional extra, it is essential to helping
students use technology responsibly, think critically and make informed decisions about when and how to use these tools. AI literacy is fast becoming the newest form of digital literacy. Just as students once learned how to search the web, evaluate sources and protect themselves online, they now need to understand the capabilities and limitations of AI. That means recognising that an answer can sound convincing without necessarily being accurate, and understanding the privacy, security and ethical considerations that come with using these technologies.
For students, AI literacy is about more than knowing how to use the tool. It involves asking better questions, thinking critically about the answers, checking information against reliable sources and understanding when AI is useful and when it is not. Equally important is recognising when AI supports learning rather than replaces it, protecting personal information and being transparent about how it has been used.
This is where education has an important role to play. AI is already part of many students’ daily lives, and simply avoiding the conversation will not make it disappear. A more effective approach is to bring AI use into the open, creating opportunities to discuss it, question it and teach it in a meaningful way.
That also means moving away from viewing AI as either the solution to every challenge or a threat to be feared. Like any tool, its value depends on how it is used. AI can support creativity, confidence and independent learning, but it can also limit deeper thinking if students become overly reliant on it.
In reality, developing AI literacy goes far beyond a standalone lesson or policy statement. It needs to be woven into everyday classroom practice, assessment and digital citizenship.
Learners should feel confident questioning the outputs they receive, asking where information has come from, what biases or gaps may exist, how it can be verified and, ultimately, whether using AI is helping them learn or simply doing critical thinking for them.
For schools, this also means supporting teachers. Many are being asked to respond to AI use while the technology, guidance and expectations continue to rapidly evolve. They need time, training and shared frameworks to apply AI consistently and confidently across subjects. AI is already part of many students’ everyday lives, inside and outside the classroom – and we have an opportunity to help young people navigate it well. The next step is to make AI literacy a shared priority, giving students and teachers the confidence, guidance and critical thinking skills to use AI thoughtfully, safely and responsibly.
From CyberFirst to TechFirst: a new chapter for
digital and AI talent We hear the latest from CyNam.
For nearly a decade, the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) CyberFirst programme has been a catalyst for digital skills development. What began as an initiative in Gloucestershire to inspire the next generation of cyber security professionals has evolved into a thriving national ecosystem connecting schools, students, teachers, universities, and industry partners. Nationally, CyberFirst has engaged more than 250,000 young people through competitions, courses, enrichment activities and careers programmes, creating one of the UK’s largest cyber talent pipelines. Over 700 CyberFirst graduates have entered the cyber security workforce, while industry partners have contributed thousands of hours of support to schools and colleges across the country.
The programme has undoubtedly demonstrated the power of true collaboration. Through initiatives such as competitions, cyber and AI careers events, AI teacher forums, work experience placements and AI Symposia, students have gained valuable insights into technology careers while developing essential digital and cyber skills with a specific focus on encouraging girls, wider underrepresented groups and students in receipt of Free School Meals or Pupil Premium.
Meanwhile, teachers have benefited directly from professional development opportunities and engagement with industry experts, helping them bring current and relevant technological knowledge into the classroom. The impact has extended beyond student engagement alone. Across the UK, CyberFirst has built a network of more than 100 industry ambassadors, delivering over 5,000 hours of support to schools, demonstrating the appetite from employers to invest directly in the future workforce. The programme has also achieved a measured social return on investment of £4.06 for every £1 invested, generating an estimated £31
September 2026 million in social value.
Now, having successfully established this foundation, CyberFirst hands over the reins of this essential school engagement, and from September 2026, schools will begin experiencing TechFirst, where initiatives will be introduced that build upon CyberFirst’s achievements but will broaden the focus beyond cyber security alone. The transition reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of the technology sector and the essential need to equip young people with skills that span multiple disciplines, with one of the major changes being the growth, adoption and impact of AI. While cyber security remains a critical national priority, the future will be shaped by a wider range of frontier technologies. TechFirst will embrace emerging areas including artificial intelligence, data science, advanced communications, quantum technologies, immersive technologies and other frontier innovations identified by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). By doing so, they will ensure that young people are prepared not only for today’s technology careers, but will demonstrate resilience for the industries and opportunities of the future. The network of schools, employers, universities and educators developed across the South West represents one of the programme’s greatest legacies with over 55 awarded schools and colleges, over 1000 hours volunteered by industry to the value of £145,625 over the last 12 months alone. And we are certain that this will only increase in its delivery as TechFirst is officially launched at the start of the new academic 2026/7 year. As the programme transitions, it leaves behind a powerful legacy and an even stronger platform from which the next generation can explore AI, digital innovation and the frontier technologies that will define the UK’s future.
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