Executive Summary
This article draws insights from 12 structured interviews with educators, policymakers, public-sector leaders, and EdTech founders, as well as two multi-stakeholder workshops (30 participants each). Findings highlight that successful GenAI adoption in Saudi Arabia’s education system begins with trust, not tools, and thrives when teachers are empowered and governance is scaled.
Embracing Frontier Technologies begins with Trust
As Artificial Intelligence reshapes classrooms worldwide, promising personalized learning and streamlined teaching, one reality stands out, which is that adoption does not start with infrastructure, but rather starts with trust. Trust fosters the willingness to embrace Meaningful change.
This was underscored by Dr. Areej Alwabil, an AI Professor and Director of AI and the Human-Computer Interaction center at AlFaisal University, with 20 years of experience at the nexus of AI and education.
Diverse Stakeholder Perspective
Trust is deeply personal. It is granted only when no threats are perceived and manifests differently among students, teachers, and parents. Each group brings unique hopes, fears, and assumptions about AI’s role in their lives. While discussing the responsible use of GenAI applications in education in our expert community, we summarize a unique perspective:
The Limits of Tools and Infrastructure
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Saudi Arabia responded swiftly to maintain education by launching a national e-learning platform, “Madrasati,” to support distance learning for grades 1-12. The platform supported teachers, students, and parents, and was used by both private and public schools. It marked a significant leap in the digital education infrastructure. Yet tools for GenAI remain largely unregulated and underutilized in classrooms. In our stakeholder workshop, stakeholders asked: Is the underutilization due to lack of trust, lack of awareness, or the absence of clear guidance?
Globally, this is a shared challenge. UNESCO* and OECD** both highlight a gap: while tools proliferate, formal guidelines and teacher training lag far behind.
Without human-centered frameworks, infrastructure risks becoming an empty shell. Hardware alone cannot foster the learning journey. Adoption at scale is not a technical decision; it is a cultural one.
From Attitude to Agency
The real shift will begin when the users are empowered to use AI responsibly and confidently. For example, Mr. Yahya, a high school English teacher, built an AI-based reading-assistant, personally tested it and shared step-by-step guides with peers. Such ambassadors show that agency grows when trusted tools are integrated into teaching, supported by training. This approach can quickly foster a culture of adoption as teachers recognize the benefits, and efficiency gains it brings into their work. The impact can be substantial as Mr. Yahya notes:
Redefining Assessment
To strengthen the teacher’s agency in the classroom, we need to rethink assessment. In an era where students can generate work in seconds, evaluating the process of learning, rather than evaluating the final product only, becomes critical.
With AI-enabled monitoring, teachers can track how students form knowledge, not just what they submit. For example, Mr. Yahya’s reading assistant visualizes student errors, pronunciation, and pacing, enabling targeted and personalized feedback. One student improved five times from his original level in one semester under this model due to real-time feedback. Monitoring students’ progress creates a shift from outcome-based evaluation to process-based learning.
Start with People
All insights converge on a core truth: meaningful adoption begins with people, not platforms. Too often, digital transformation decisions are made in boardrooms and data centers, far removed from the day-to-day realities of learners and educators. Meaningful adoption depends on cultivating trust through a human-centered approach and collaborating closely with teachers, students, and parents in the design process.
AI in education is not just a technological shift; it is a human one. Trust, after all, is not built through code, but through conversation. A single, urgent principle ties all these insights together: start with people.
* Guidance for generative AI in education and research 2023
** OECD Digital Education Outlook 2023 Towards an Effective Digital Education Ecosystem
This article draws insights from 12 structured interviews with educators, policymakers, public-sector leaders, and EdTech founders, as well as two multi-stakeholder workshops (30 participants each). Findings highlight that successful GenAI adoption in Saudi Arabia’s education system begins with trust, not tools, and thrives when teachers are empowered and governance is scaled.
- Embracing frontier technology: Responsible uptake depends on trust through human-centric design, structured dialogue, and clear adoption frameworks.
- Empowering educators & governing at scale: Equip teachers to confidently innovate by prioritizing professional development and identifying trusted AI tools.
- Redefining assessment: Move assessments beyond curriculum to a learning process; supported by clear AI rules and interfaces that provide actionable feedback.
Embracing Frontier Technologies begins with Trust
As Artificial Intelligence reshapes classrooms worldwide, promising personalized learning and streamlined teaching, one reality stands out, which is that adoption does not start with infrastructure, but rather starts with trust. Trust fosters the willingness to embrace Meaningful change.
This was underscored by Dr. Areej Alwabil, an AI Professor and Director of AI and the Human-Computer Interaction center at AlFaisal University, with 20 years of experience at the nexus of AI and education.
“You can build the best platforms, but if people don’t trust them—they won’t use them.”
Diverse Stakeholder Perspective
Trust is deeply personal. It is granted only when no threats are perceived and manifests differently among students, teachers, and parents. Each group brings unique hopes, fears, and assumptions about AI’s role in their lives. While discussing the responsible use of GenAI applications in education in our expert community, we summarize a unique perspective:
- Students often see opportunities, but their trust is often uncritical. Tools like ChatGPT feel empowering and time-saving, though they may overlook risks like bias or misinformation.
- Parents by contrast, balance optimism with concern. While some welcome tech-enhanced learning, many worry about screen time, misinformation, transparency, and AI’s long-term impact on critical thinking and well-being.
- Teachers face the steepest adjustment. Some see opportunity; others feel algorithms threaten their authority. Given teachers’ central role in maintaining educational trust with parents, GenAI adoption that excludes their training risks resistance, misuse, and mistrust.
“Even if the solution is feasible and desirable, it won’t be viable if it is not adopted by the majority”.
The Limits of Tools and Infrastructure
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Saudi Arabia responded swiftly to maintain education by launching a national e-learning platform, “Madrasati,” to support distance learning for grades 1-12. The platform supported teachers, students, and parents, and was used by both private and public schools. It marked a significant leap in the digital education infrastructure. Yet tools for GenAI remain largely unregulated and underutilized in classrooms. In our stakeholder workshop, stakeholders asked: Is the underutilization due to lack of trust, lack of awareness, or the absence of clear guidance?
Globally, this is a shared challenge. UNESCO* and OECD** both highlight a gap: while tools proliferate, formal guidelines and teacher training lag far behind.
Without human-centered frameworks, infrastructure risks becoming an empty shell. Hardware alone cannot foster the learning journey. Adoption at scale is not a technical decision; it is a cultural one.
From Attitude to Agency
The real shift will begin when the users are empowered to use AI responsibly and confidently. For example, Mr. Yahya, a high school English teacher, built an AI-based reading-assistant, personally tested it and shared step-by-step guides with peers. Such ambassadors show that agency grows when trusted tools are integrated into teaching, supported by training. This approach can quickly foster a culture of adoption as teachers recognize the benefits, and efficiency gains it brings into their work. The impact can be substantial as Mr. Yahya notes:
“The production that I am achieving with GenAI application is equal to the production of 4-5 teachers combined, we can say that using AI applications in teaching can save the teacher around 100 hours per week.”
Responsible use of AI is achieved through education and awareness, not through imposing restrictions. By cultivating understanding and providing reliable, purpose-built applications, whether for a specific educational task, Math, English, Writing, Creative thinking, Physics, the risks can be proactively managed and minimized through intentional design.Redefining Assessment
To strengthen the teacher’s agency in the classroom, we need to rethink assessment. In an era where students can generate work in seconds, evaluating the process of learning, rather than evaluating the final product only, becomes critical.
With AI-enabled monitoring, teachers can track how students form knowledge, not just what they submit. For example, Mr. Yahya’s reading assistant visualizes student errors, pronunciation, and pacing, enabling targeted and personalized feedback. One student improved five times from his original level in one semester under this model due to real-time feedback. Monitoring students’ progress creates a shift from outcome-based evaluation to process-based learning.
Start with People
All insights converge on a core truth: meaningful adoption begins with people, not platforms. Too often, digital transformation decisions are made in boardrooms and data centers, far removed from the day-to-day realities of learners and educators. Meaningful adoption depends on cultivating trust through a human-centered approach and collaborating closely with teachers, students, and parents in the design process.
AI in education is not just a technological shift; it is a human one. Trust, after all, is not built through code, but through conversation. A single, urgent principle ties all these insights together: start with people.
* Guidance for generative AI in education and research 2023
** OECD Digital Education Outlook 2023 Towards an Effective Digital Education Ecosystem