As Dubai Plans AI Guidelines for Schools Next Year, UAE Educators Urge Parents to Look Beyond Well-Written Homework and Encourage Children to Explain Their Reasoning, Research and Problem-Solving Skills.
Students across the UAE are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to complete homework, prepare for examinations and work on school projects. However, as platforms such as ChatGPT make information and answers readily accessible, parents face an important question: are their children using AI to improve their learning, or relying on it to do the intellectual work for them?
Meanwhile, Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is expected to introduce dedicated guidelines on the use of AI in schools next year. The proposed guidance aims to encourage responsible adoption of the technology while addressing concerns about inappropriate use.
“We want to have a very clear direction on the use of AI and technology,” said Aisha Miran, KHDA director general. “The whole intention is when is the right time to use it to strengthen student learning, and when they should be careful about using it.”
1. Look beyond flawless essays and polished homework
According to educators, one potential warning sign is a noticeable gap between the quality of a student’s submitted assignment and their ability to explain the ideas or reasoning behind it.
Zaineb Mahdi, director of innovation and technology at GEMS School of Research and Innovation, said advances in AI have made it increasingly difficult to determine whether an assignment was produced with artificial intelligence simply by examining the finished work.
“AI tools are becoming more sophisticated, and we cannot rely on detection software alone to determine whether a student has used AI,” she said.
Teachers who are familiar with a student’s abilities may notice unusual changes in vocabulary, sentence structure, writing style or depth of understanding.
However, Mahdi emphasised that such differences should lead to further discussion rather than immediate conclusions about AI misuse.
She suggested that asking students to describe how they developed their answers can provide a clearer picture of their understanding.
“One of the most revealing questions we can ask is a very simple one: ‘Can you explain how you arrived at this answer?’” she said. “We want students to demonstrate their thinking, explain their decisions and show how their ideas have developed.”
Mahdi believes schools should increasingly evaluate how students learn, including their creativity, reasoning and problem-solving abilities, rather than focusing exclusively on the quality of completed assignments.
Thomas Kinnersley, principal of Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi, shared a similar view, noting that changes in a student’s writing style may justify a conversation but do not necessarily prove that AI was used.
“Our teachers know their students incredibly well, so a change in vocabulary or writing style might prompt a conversation, but that alone doesn’t mean AI has been used,” he said. “Asking children to talk through their ideas, show how they reached an answer and explain their thinking helps us see the learning behind the work.”
2. Find out what your child can accomplish without AI
Another practical approach is to ask children to explain or demonstrate their homework independently, without referring to an AI chatbot.
This can help parents distinguish between using artificial intelligence as a learning aid and depending on it to complete assignments without developing the necessary understanding.
Andreas Hassellöf, founder and chief executive of technology company Ombori, said the ability to reproduce the reasoning behind an answer is a useful indicator of genuine learning.
“The most useful test is simple, switch off the AI and see what your child can do independently,” he said.
“Can they explain the answer in their own words, walk you through how they arrived at it, or solve a similar problem without assistance? If they can submit an impressive assignment but struggle to explain it, that is a signal worth paying attention to.”
Parents can apply this approach through relaxed conversations rather than making children feel they are being tested or accused of wrongdoing.
For example, they might ask their child to summarise a paragraph from an essay, explain the steps used to solve a mathematics problem or describe why they selected a particular argument for a school project.
The purpose is to assess whether the child has understood the subject, rather than simply identifying whether AI played a role in completing the task.
Kinnersley warned that the real concern begins when technology replaces the independent thinking and practice students need to build essential academic skills.
“Completing the homework is not the same as understanding it,” he said.
Abdulaziz Ahmed, digital design teacher at Swiss International Scientific School Dubai (SISD), said the school incorporates AI literacy alongside digital literacy in its secondary curriculum.
The approach is designed to help students recognise both the educational possibilities and the limitations of artificial intelligence, encouraging them to use the technology thoughtfully and responsibly.
Ahmed explained that AI can be a valuable educational resource when students use it to brainstorm ideas, test arguments, identify weaknesses in their reasoning or obtain feedback on drafts.
However, he emphasised that students must remain responsible for conducting their own research, constructing arguments and explaining the decisions behind their work.
“The line is crossed when a student simply asks AI to complete an assignment and submits the response as their own,” Ahmed said.
“At that point, they are missing the critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving that make the learning process valuable.”
3. Watch whether AI becomes the first solution to every problem
Another useful indicator for parents is how quickly their children turn to artificial intelligence when faced with a difficult question or assignment.
Do they first attempt to work through the problem independently, or do they immediately open a chatbot and request an answer?
Hassellöf encouraged parents to observe these habits and help children develop a questioning approach towards AI-generated information.
“Does the child attempt a problem before turning to AI, or is the chatbot always the first stop? Do they question its answers?” he said.
Parents can encourage critical thinking by asking children to identify the source of a particular fact, locate the original information and explain how they would determine whether it is reliable.
Students who verify facts, compare different sources and evaluate the credibility of information are developing essential research and analytical skills.
By contrast, accepting an AI-generated response without questioning it can expose children to inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information.
Ahmed also highlighted the importance of teaching students that AI systems can produce errors and reflect biases, even when their responses appear detailed and convincing.
For families, the key is to encourage children to use AI as a tool for exploring and understanding information, rather than treating its responses as unquestionable facts.
4. Recognise when AI supports learning and when it becomes a shortcut
For some students, artificial intelligence has already proved useful in helping them understand difficult subjects and catch up on missed lessons.
Grade 7 student Yahiya Mohammed began using ChatGPT after missing two weeks of classes shortly before the summer holidays while travelling home.
Although he contacted classmates and friends to find out what had been covered, he continued to struggle with several topics.
He eventually entered the subjects into ChatGPT and asked the chatbot to explain them in simpler terms.
“That really helped me understand them and catch up with what I had missed,” he said.
His experience demonstrates how AI can complement classroom learning by breaking down complicated concepts and offering additional explanations when students need them.
Rather than completing assignments on his behalf, the technology helped him understand lessons he had missed.
Parent Layla Hassan shared a similar experience, explaining that her daughter occasionally uses AI when she encounters difficulties with homework, particularly when an adult is unavailable to assist her.
“If she doesn’t understand something, she turns to ChatGPT for an explanation or to clear up her doubts. It’s especially helpful when there’s no adult around to help her,” she said.
However, Hassan also expressed concern that easy access to instant answers could discourage children from developing the patience and persistence needed to solve problems independently.
“AI gives children answers straight away, but they may lose out on the experience of researching, trying different approaches and figuring things out on their own,” she said.
“I feel that struggle and toil have their own value because they are part of the learning process.”
Her concern reflects a broader challenge for parents and educators: ensuring that technology makes learning more accessible without removing the effort and independent exploration that help students develop lasting skills.
5. Establish age-appropriate rules and safeguard personal information
Education and technology experts say banning AI entirely is not necessarily the most effective way to encourage responsible use among children.
Instead, parents can establish clear boundaries about when chatbots may be used, how they should support schoolwork and what personal information must remain private.
Hassellöf recommended closer parental supervision for younger children, while allowing older students greater independence as they demonstrate responsible habits.
He stressed that families should agree on clear privacy rules and follow their schools’ policies governing artificial intelligence.
“Agree what never goes into a chatbot: full names, addresses, photos, passwords and private worries. And follow the school’s rules on AI use.”
He also encouraged parents to observe how children interact with AI, particularly whether they make an effort to solve problems independently and critically evaluate the responses they receive.
“Parents should also watch for patterns. Does the child attempt a problem before turning to AI, or is the chatbot always the first stop? Do they question its answers? Ask them where a fact came from and how they would check it. A child who can find the original source, or explain why one source is more trustworthy than another, is learning. A child who says ‘the AI said so’ is not yet. Can they still write, reason and work through a difficult question on their own?”
Ultimately, Hassellöf said, the most meaningful measure of whether AI is supporting a child’s education is their ability to demonstrate understanding without relying on the technology.
“What can your child do with the tool closed?”
