Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the Curriculum Review to provide algorithm literacy and AI education to help children understand that AI systems can have inaccurate outputs; and what steps will be taken through the curriculum to ensure that young people are educated on the potential harms of AI including a) Deepfakes and CSAM content, b) AI generated online fraud and scams, c) Chatbot algorithmic biases.

The department has accepted the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendations for computing and are committed to going further through explicitly including AI within the curriculum, and exploring a potential Level 3 qualification in data science and AI. This will empower students to harness the opportunities of AI, whilst navigating its risks responsibly.

We will work with subject experts to ensure that AI and issues like bias in technology will be included within the refreshed computing curriculum in an age-appropriate way. The exact content will be determined following engagement with experts, and we will publicly consult on the draft proposals next year.

It is worth noting that algorithms and online harms are currently covered in the curriculum, through computing and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). In July, the government published updated RSHE statutory guidance introducing new content on AI, online safety and pornography, which will be mandatory from 1 September 2026.