Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of classrooms, but its growing role has also raised questions about whether students could begin relying on technology to do the thinking for them. UNESCO’s 2026 ICT in Education Prize has therefore focused on projects that use AI while keeping creativity, critical thinking and human agency at the centre of learning.
This year, the prize has been awarded to two initiatives: Generation AI, led by universities in Finland, and Redação Paraná, a public education programme in Brazil. The two projects were selected from more than 100 nominations by an independent international jury of experts in digital technology and education.
Finland's Generation AI
Launched in 2022, Generation AI was developed by the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Helsinki and the University of Oulu, along with other partners.
The programme is designed to move students beyond simply using AI tools. Through classroom activities, evidence-based learning materials and inquiry-based approaches, students are encouraged to investigate how AI works, question its outputs and consider how AI systems could be shaped in the future.
UNESCO said the project has supported students' scientific reasoning and ethical reflection around AI and digital media. Its learning materials have been accessed more than 200,000 times across more than 50 countries, while workshops and school interventions have involved around 1,500 students and teachers.
The central idea is that students should remain active participants in the learning process rather than becoming passive consumers of AI-generated information.
Brazil's Redação Paraná
Brazil's winning project takes a different approach by using AI directly within writing education.
Redação Paraná is both a digital platform and a public education policy developed by the State Secretariat of Education of Paraná. It uses AI-assisted feedback alongside teacher guidance to help students write, revise and strengthen their arguments.
The programme was piloted in 2020 and implemented across the state in 2021. It has now reached approximately 850,000 students across 2,000 schools.
Rather than replacing teachers, the programme combines AI-generated feedback with teacher mediation. Teachers are also provided with training to integrate the platform and its instructional resources into classroom teaching. UNESCO said the initiative has helped students develop critical thinking, argumentation and creative writing skills.
Why Critical Thinking Is at the Centre
The recognition comes as schools and universities face a new challenge created by generative AI.
Students can increasingly use AI to write, summarise, analyse information and solve problems. This creates opportunities for learning, but also raises concerns about students outsourcing reasoning and judgement instead of developing those abilities themselves.
UNESCO's 2026 prize was specifically organised around the theme “Reimagining creativity and critical thinking with artificial intelligence.” The organisation said the focus was on identifying practices where AI encourages students to question, explore and create rather than simply providing answers.
The two winning projects approach that challenge differently. Finland focuses on helping students understand and critically examine AI, while Brazil uses AI-assisted feedback to support writing at scale.
The Teacher's Role Remains Central
A common element across both initiatives is that AI is not positioned as a replacement for teachers.
Generation AI places teachers within activities designed to develop students' understanding of artificial intelligence. Redação Paraná similarly combines automated feedback with teacher involvement and training.
This distinction is becoming increasingly important as education systems decide how AI should be incorporated into classrooms. UNESCO's broader approach to AI in education emphasises human agency, inclusion and equity, rather than technology being treated as a substitute for human judgement.
Why the Recognition Matters
The two projects demonstrate different ways education systems can respond to the growth of AI.
One focuses on AI literacy and student agency, helping learners understand and question the technology itself. The other shows how AI can be used as part of a large-scale public education programme while retaining teacher involvement.
The award also comes as UNESCO's Digital Learning Week 2026 examines the wider impact of AI on education, including questions around human agency, equity and the future purpose of education.
The Bigger Picture
The recognition of projects from Finland and Brazil reflects a broader shift in the AI-in-education debate.
The question is no longer simply whether schools should allow students to use AI. It is increasingly about how AI can be used without weakening the skills education is supposed to develop.
Generation AI and Redação Paraná offer two different models, but both place student learning at the centre. Whether AI is being used to teach students about the technology or to provide feedback on their writing, the teacher and learner remain part of the process.
As AI becomes more capable, this balance between technological assistance and independent human thinking is likely to become one of the central questions facing education systems worldwide.
