Artificial intelligence can help students learn, and it can also be misused to avoid learning. This policy explains how Smartious uses AI, when students may and may not use it, and how we protect students’ data and the honesty of their work.
Our Mshauri AI tutor helps students between live lessons: it explains ideas, gives hints and helps students practise. It is a study aid, not a teacher, and it does not replace the qualified teachers who plan lessons, mark work and make every academic decision. Teachers may use AI tools to help prepare materials; they check everything before it reaches a student.
Every mark, grade, report and predicted grade is decided by a qualified teacher. AI may help to check spelling or suggest feedback, but it never decides an outcome for a student.
Students may use AI to understand a topic, to get hints while practising, to check their own understanding, and to revise, unless their teacher says otherwise for a particular task. Students should always think through the answer for themselves rather than copy what an AI tool produces.
Students must not use AI to produce work that they submit as their own, to answer questions in tests, quizzes or examinations, or in any assessed work or coursework, unless the teacher has clearly allowed it for that task. Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, IB and College Board treat undeclared AI-generated work in assessed tasks as malpractice, and so do we.
When AI use is allowed in a task, students say which tool they used and how, in the way their teacher shows them. Work that hides AI use is treated as a breach of our Academic Integrity Policy.
Teachers know their students’ work and may ask a student to explain or redo a piece of work in a live lesson. We do not decide that work is AI-generated on the basis of a detection tool alone, because these tools can be wrong. Any concern is handled under the Academic Integrity Policy, and the student is always given the chance to respond.
We share no more student information with an AI service than a task needs, and we never sell student data. Students must not enter personal details, such as their full name, address, phone number or photographs, into AI tools. Our use of AI services follows our Privacy Policy.
AI tools can be wrong, biased or unsuitable for children. Students should check important facts with their teacher or a trusted source, and tell a teacher or parent if an AI tool shows them anything that worries them. Concerns about a child’s safety are handled under our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.
We encourage parents to talk with their children about using AI honestly and safely, and to contact us with any question about how AI is used in their child’s learning.
AI changes quickly. We review this policy at least once every 12 months, and sooner when examination boards update their guidance.