This fall, all 10th and 11th grade students across the country will begin using an AI-based educational program called TI-hüpe ("AI Leap"), although its final version has not yet been completed. A contract will likely be signed with the U.S. tech giant OpenAI. However, unlike existing AI tools, this model is intended to function in the opposite way — designed specifically for students, it will not provide direct answers.

The program's budget for its first academic year is approximately €3 million.

"It should be viewed as an assistant teacher — one that doesn't just hand you all the answers, but instead asks you questions about what you already know on the topic and motivates you to explore additional nuances that might deepen your understanding," said Ivo Visak, CEO of the AI Leap program.

At the same time, developers of the model admit they don't yet know how it should be used in schools — whether during the school day or for homework, on a computer or a smartphone.

"The general recommendation is that every school should improve its awareness of artificial intelligence. Since schools operate autonomously, they will each find the best way to approach its use," Visak added.

Students will still be allowed to use other existing AI applications. However, the biggest concerns with these tools are their tendency to generate incorrect answers and reduce critical thinking.

Currently, schools vary widely in their understanding and use of AI. A study by Tallinn University found that out of nearly 4,000 teachers, about half use some form of AI tool, with older teachers being more active users.

Grete Arro, a researcher at Tallinn University, said the speed at which the new program is being rolled out is a major concern.

"It's extremely worrying, but I've been concerned since about February. The pace of implementation isn't really up to me. I think researchers have pointed out that this could be done more calmly, but right now, we're just working with what we've got," Arro said.

AI educator Diana Poudel has encountered many teachers who are confused about how to assign and evaluate homework under the new model. Training sessions for teachers aren't scheduled to begin until the end of August — just before the school year starts.

Poudel argued that instead of building a new model from scratch, the focus should be on using existing ones more effectively.

"This is a kind of dream that doesn't match reality. I don't know why it's being done. Let's be honest — if a student is motivated to learn, I've seen plenty of great examples of them using ChatGPT to help understand chemistry formulas or identify mistakes in math assignments. But if a student lacks motivation and is just looking for answers, they're not going to turn to this wonderful new model — they'll still go online and use the tool that gives them the answers," Poudel said.

The introduction of the new AI model will require changes to curricula, standardized assessments and exams.

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