South Australia to roll out custom-built AI program across public schools

An AI tool similar to ChatGPT will soon be rolled out in every public high school in South Australia.

The custom-built program, Ed-Chat, is set to be used across the state by the start of term four. 

Developed in conjunction with Microsoft, the Education Department's initiative aims to assist student learning and alleviate teacher workloads, incorporating safeguards to restrict access to inappropriate content.

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The program, accessible exclusively to high school students and staff, provides teachers with time-saving marking capabilities and offers students educational support outside of school hours. 

"I find it extremely helpful with managing year 11... it's a busy year," one student said.

However, the adoption rate has been varied. 

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Of the more than 10,000 students from 16 metropolitan and regional schools already trialling Ed-Chat, 41 per cent have used the technology, while teacher engagement stands at 36 per cent.

"It is like using any sort of search tool on the internet, it's limited by the skill of the people using it," Adelaide Botanic High School principal Sarah Chambers. 

"What we need to do is build that capacity."

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.