Generative artificial intelligence is transforming every corner of our lives — how we communicate, create, work, and, inevitably, how we teach and learn. As educators, we cannot ignore its power, nor can we embrace it blindly. The rapid pace of AI innovation requires not only technical adaptation, but also deep ethical reflection.
As the largest education provider in Israel, at Israel Sci-Tech Schools (ISTS), we believe that, as AI becomes increasingly present in classrooms, we must ensure that human judgment, accountability, and responsibility remain at the center of education. That is why we are the first in Israel to create a Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence in Education. This is not just a policy document but an open invitation for discussion, learning, and shared responsibility across the education system.
This ethical code is not a technical manual, and it does not provide instant answers for daily classroom situations. Instead, it offers a holistic approach — a way of thinking, a framework for educators, students, and policymakers to use AI consciously and responsibly. It asks essential, core-value questions: How do we balance innovation with privacy? How do we ensure equality when access to technology is uneven? How do we maintain transparency when using AI? And when should we pause, reflect, and reconsider how we use AI in the classroom?
To develop the code, we drew from extensive global research and local experience. We consulted with ethicists, educators, technologists, psychologists, and legal experts — and, perhaps most importantly, we listened to students, teachers, and parents. Through roundtable discussions, they shared real concerns and insights about AI’s potential and its pitfalls. Those conversations shaped the code’s seven guiding principles, designed to help schools integrate AI ethically, transparently, and with respect for human dignity.
The Seven Principles of ISTS’ Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence in Education:
- Privacy and Data Protection — Protecting privacy in the AI era requires transparency and informed consent. Students and parents must know what data is collected, for what purpose, and who has access to it.
- Preventing Bias and Discrimination — AI reflects the data it learns from, and that data can carry bias. We must teach critical thinking and encourage students to question and verify AI-generated results.
- Preserving Interpersonal Interaction — Technology must never replace the human relationships that define education. AI should support, not substitute, the social and emotional connections between teachers and students.
- Transparency and Explainability — Building trust requires openness. Everyone in the education community should understand when and how AI is being used and be able to question its results.
- Equitable Access — AI can personalize learning and bridge gaps — but only if it is accessible to all. We must adapt tools for diverse languages, abilities, and digital literacy levels to prevent new forms of inequality.
- AI Literacy — Understanding AI goes beyond technical skills. Students and teachers alike must learn to use it thoughtfully, with ethical awareness and independent judgment.
- Accountability — Human responsibility must remain central. Decisions about education should always be made by people, not algorithms.
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While this code of ethics is currently implemented within Israel’s education network, it can — and should — be adopted globally. This could become Israel’s unique contribution to one of the most important issues the world is now striving to address — ensuring that the integration of AI into education is guided by shared ethical values and human-centered principles.
Together, these principles aim to foster a culture of responsibility and awareness. The ethical code is a living document — a starting point for an ongoing national conversation about how we, as educators and citizens, can use AI to strengthen rather than weaken the human spirit that defines learning.
At ISTS, we see this as a shared mission. Technology may be advancing faster than ever, but our values must guide its path. The future of education depends on it.
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, so too will its role in shaping how young people learn, think, and interact with the world. Without clear ethical guardrails, we risk creating a generation that is highly proficient in using technology but less equipped to question its influence or understand its consequences. A code of ethics ensures that innovation in education does not come at the expense of integrity, fairness, and emotional intelligence — the very qualities that make learning deeply human.
Adopting ethical frameworks like ISTS’s code is not a one-time act, but a continuous commitment. It signals that we are not passive recipients of technological change, but active shapers of it. By embedding ethical reflection into the fabric of our education systems, we can prepare students not only to thrive in an AI-driven world, but to lead it responsibly and with curiosity.
Raz Frohlich is the CEO of Israel Sci-Tech Schools (ISTS).
