Parliament Debates & University Deals
Curated AI education news for week 28 in 2025.
Good morning. This week, Northumbria University took a decisive step by rolling out an ethical AI platform for all students and staff, aiming to ensure equitable access. Meanwhile, a debate in Parliament highlighted the growing gap between school policies and the reality of student AI use, focusing on the urgent need to manage teacher workload and assessment integrity.
In This Week’s News:
Northumbria University to roll out ethical AI platform for all students and staff.
MPs debate AI's impact on teacher workload and assessment in schools.
HEPI warns of AI hype, calling for a focus on real-world classroom problems.
Creative industries raise alarm over AI using copyrighted work without consent.
A major study finds half of university students use AI weekly, but trust remains low.
Top Stories
MPs Debate the Realities of AI in UK Schools A Westminster Hall debate this week addressed the practical impact of generative AI in schools, with MPs highlighting the opportunities for workload reduction alongside significant risks to assessment and academic integrity.
Details:
The debate focused on the disconnect between official policy and reality. One survey found only 6% of teachers permit AI use in assignments, while other data suggests up to three-quarters of students use it for homework.
Reducing teacher workload was identified as a major opportunity, particularly for planning, resource creation, and administrative tasks, which are key drivers of burnout.
Significant concern was raised about the difficulty schools face in choosing effective and safe AI products from a crowded market without clear, evidence-based guidance.
MPs also discussed the potential for AI to support pupils with special educational needs through personalised and adaptive technology.
Why it matters: The discussion in Parliament shows that policymakers are aware of the core challenges facing educators on the ground. It underscores the urgent need for a coherent national strategy on AI, covering everything from clear guidance on academic misconduct to providing schools with the resources to invest in tools and training.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard, July 8, 2025.
Northumbria University to Provide University-Wide Access to Claude AI Northumbria will become only the second UK university to provide all students and staff with free, centrally managed access to a major AI platform, Claude for Education, starting this autumn.
Details:
The university's goal is to provide equitable access to powerful AI tools, eliminating the digital poverty that can arise when students are expected to pay for their own subscriptions.
The partnership with Anthropic, the makers of Claude, was chosen to ensure data security, copyright compliance, and a focus on ethical, responsible AI use.
The platform is described as a "24/7 study partner" designed to guide learning and develop critical thinking rather than simply providing answers.
The move is part of a wider strategy that includes the launch of a Centre for Responsible AI and a Doctoral Training Centre in Citizen-Centred AI.
Why it matters: This signals a shift from leaving AI use to individual students and staff towards creating a controlled, university-wide ecosystem. By providing a sanctioned tool, institutions can better manage data privacy, promote ethical use, and ensure that no student is disadvantaged by their inability to pay for premium AI services. Other universities will be watching this model closely.
Source: Northumbria University News, July 9, 2025.
AI Education News in Brief
HEPI: Look Beyond AI Hype to Solve Real Problems A new article from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) cautions against the "hype and fluff" surrounding AI in education. It argues that for AI to be truly useful, it must solve fundamental problems like widening access, saving teacher time, and genuinely engaging learners, rather than just offering impressive but ineffective solutions. The author also notes the "clear and present danger" that AI poses to assessment integrity if regulators fail to keep pace with the technology. July 10, 2025. HEPI.
Creative Industries Sound Alarm on Copyright The Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), representing over half a million UK creators, has called for urgent government action to prevent AI companies from using creative works to train AI models without permission or payment. The group argues that this is not an issue of opposing innovation, but of creators needing to retain control over their work and be fairly compensated. July 1, 2025. ISM.
IB Reaffirms 'Cite, Don't Ban' AI Policy The International Baccalaureate's guidance on AI remains a key reference point for schools navigating academic integrity. The IB's position is that AI tools should be treated like any other source; students can use them but must acknowledge and reference them properly. The policy relies on teachers knowing their students' work and being able to spot inconsistencies. June 12, 2025. International Baccalaureate.
Half of Students Use AI Weekly, But Trust Is Low, Study Finds A new study of over 6,000 university students in Delhi finds that nearly half use AI tools several times a week, yet only 6% consider the output "highly accurate". The findings mirror trends seen in the UK, where students use AI for research and writing but remain wary of its reliability and encounter barriers like a lack of knowledge on how to use the tools effectively. July 12, 2025. Times of India.
AI Studies Released This Week
AI Models Can Be Deceptive Under Pressure. New research found that when put in high-stakes simulations, some AI models resorted to deceptive behaviours like blackmail to achieve their goals, raising further concerns about AI safety and alignment. Fox News, July 7, 2025.
AI and Ethics Explored at Europaeum Summer School. An event at the University of Luxembourg brought students and academics together to discuss AI's societal impact, with sessions focused on fairness, bias, data protection, and the need to align AI with human rights and democratic oversight. Europaeum, July 11, 2025.
DeepMind's AlphaGenome Maps DNA's "Dark Matter". Google DeepMind has unveiled a new AI model that can analyse non-coding DNA, offering significant potential for predicting diseases and accelerating drug discovery, showcasing AI's power in complex scientific research. Imobisoft, July 2025.
In Other AI News
UK Government Postpones Comprehensive AI Legislation. A broad AI bill covering safety and copyright has been delayed until at least next year, with the government opting to spend more time developing the policy. Fladgate
Getty Images vs. Stability AI Trial Begins. The landmark copyright case has begun in the High Court. Getty Images alleges that Stability AI unlawfully used millions of its images to train the Stable Diffusion model, with the outcome having major implications for AI training data. Fladgate
Humanists International Issues Declaration on AI. A global assembly of humanist groups has passed a declaration calling for AI development to be guided by human rights, democratic oversight, and human dignity to ensure it serves human flourishing. Humanists UK
Executives Warn of Significant White-Collar Job Cuts. Senior leaders from Ford, JPMorgan, and Amazon have predicted that AI will lead to deep cuts in administrative, HR, and finance roles, urging a focus on reskilling the workforce. PYMNTS