Amid controversy, Denmark allows students to use AI in English exams

Denmark's pilot program using AI in English exams is only open to high schools that volunteer to participate. (Source: europeanconservative)

The decision, issued on August 22 by the Danish Ministry of Education, comes as education ministries around the world debate whether AI is a useful learning tool in the digital age or a factor that degrades student quality.

The Danish government said that allowing AI in English exams will be a pilot program and will only apply to the oral portion of the high school graduation exam. Accordingly, after receiving the exam papers, students will have 60 minutes to prepare and be allowed to use all available tools, including generative AI. Students will then take the exam in front of an examiner.

For the written portion of the exam, students will have to write a portion by hand to ensure they are not too dependent on technology. In previous years, the written exam was completed entirely on a computer with an Internet connection. Denmark has allowed students to use the Internet in exams since 2008.

The AI ​​pilot program is only open to high schools that volunteer to participate.

In a statement, Education Minister Mattias Tesfaye said the ministry is piloting the use of AI to “find the right balance” between encouraging digitalization of learning and teaching and maintaining the quality of education.

In many European countries, high school students are required to take handwritten exams, not typed ones.