EU Plans AI Literacy Certificates for 15-Year-Old Students

OPA WIRE, Nov 5 (OPA) — The European Union plans to launch an artificial intelligence literacy certificate for schoolchildren to address the profound impact of fast-developing technology on modern education. European Commission Vice President Roxana Minzatu announced the initiative, designed to help pupils navigate digital tools safely.

"It will help young pupils understand how AI works, check what it tells them, spot manipulation, and know when to switch off," Minzatu said. Brussels aims to roll out the certificate for 15-year-old students ahead of the 2027-2028 school year, amid ongoing global challenges for teachers and learners adapting to classroom technology.

The project arrives as recent PISA 2025 statistics show a persistent decline in basic skills, revealing that roughly one in three 15-year-olds in the EU underachieves in literacy and mathematics. While the EU lacks direct authority over member states' educational policies, Brussels continues supporting research on the safe implementation of AI in classrooms.

Brussels insists the initiative aligns with broader regulatory efforts to curb social media access for young teenagers. Minzatu emphasized that structured AI tutoring and personalized learning differ fundamentally from the addictive algorithms deployed by mainstream social media platforms.