EU plans AI literacy certificate for schoolchildren

The European Union is developing an AI literacy certificate for 15-year-old students, with a planned launch in the 2027-2028 school year. European Commission vice president Roxana Minzatu said the initiative would help pupils understand how AI works, assess its responses, spot manipulation and recognise when to stop using it.

The proposal comes as schools grapple with rapidly developing technology and declining basic skills. PISA 2025 statistics showed around one in three 15-year-olds in the EU underachieving in literacy and mathematics. Brussels wants AI to support better learning and is already backing research into its safe use in teaching, although education policy remains under member states’ control.

The Commission also wants teachers to better understand AI’s capabilities and risks. Alongside that effort, Brussels is pushing legislation to restrict young teenagers’ access to social media. Minzatu said the initiatives were compatible, distinguishing educational applications such as tutoring and personalised learning from platforms’ addictive algorithms.