UNESCO Competency for Students

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has developed and created an AI competency framework for students. Pulling from the initial summary of this framework, is the following statement:

Grounded in a vision of students as AI co-creators and responsible citizens, the framework emphasizes critical judgement of AI solutions, awareness of citizenship responsibilities in the era of AI, foundational AI knowledge for lifelong learning, and inclusive, sustainable AI design. (UNESCO, 2024b, p. 1)

UNESCO outlines four key dimensions that define the essential competencies students should develop in relation to artificial intelligence  (UNESCO, 2024b):

Human-centred mindset

This dimension focuses on developing students’ values, beliefs, and critical thinking to help them evaluate the appropriate use of AI and its impact on society. It encourages awareness of human agency, accountability, and civic responsibility in the AI era. Students learn that AI is human-created and must be used in ways that respect human rights and social justice. They are also encouraged to see themselves as lifelong learners and responsible citizens who contribute to building inclusive, ethical, and sustainable AI futures.

Ethics of AI

This dimension helps students develop the values, critical thinking, and social-emotional skills needed to navigate and apply ethical principles throughout the AI life cycle. Students explore issues such as human rights, data privacy, discrimination, and environmental sustainability. They are encouraged to understand and follow ethical guidelines, assess the risks and impacts of AI tools, and make informed decisions in both local and global contexts. Key concepts include safe and responsible use, transparency, fairness, and ethics by design, all aimed at fostering accountability and human oversight in AI systems.

AI techniques and applications

This dimension equips students with foundational knowledge and practical skills in AI, focusing on data, algorithms, and programming. It connects conceptual understanding with hands-on experience using real AI tools and tasks. Students learn how AI systems are developed and are encouraged to apply this knowledge critically and ethically. As they progress, they begin creating and customising AI tools while integrating human-centred values. This dimension also fosters interdisciplinary thinking and collaborative skills essential for engaging meaningfully with AI in both academic and everyday contexts.

AI system design

This dimension equips students with foundational skills to design, build, and improve AI systems. They learn to assess whether AI is appropriate for a problem, plan and structure AI architecture, and apply testing and feedback to refine their models. Emphasis is placed on ethics by design, human-centred thinking, and understanding the broader impact of AI. It is especially suited for students interested in deepening their technical knowledge and contributing as responsible creators in the AI field.

Within these dimensions and competencies, there are three different progression levels of understanding (UNESCO, 2024b):

1. Understand

2. Apply

3. Create