The report, which draws on survey responses from edtech directors, state leaders, CIOs and other education leaders across 47 states, shows that AI is now at the top of state edtech priorities for the first time. 

Many of the leaders surveyed reported working on guidance, professional development, and policy frameworks in AI while others have already brought on expertise in AI into their agencies to support its responsible use.

“The rise of AI as a top state priority reflects just how quickly the education landscape is evolving,” comments Julia Fallon, Executive Director of SETDA. “But what stands out in this year’s report is the through-line of commitment: state leaders are not chasing trends, they are developing policy and building frameworks that protect students, empower educators, and make technology a true driver of equity and impact. This is the work of system change, and states are leading the way.”

AI surpassed cybersecurity as a priority, which has been the top priority for the past two years. However, SETDA says cybersecurity remains a concern, with many leaders calling for continued infrastructure investment.

Other issues highlighted in the report include devices use, with ongoing debate around restricting student access to devices in classrooms. Leaders also mentioned professional development as an ongoing priority, with many saying this is an unmet need, particularly around the effective and safe use of AI in classrooms.

The ETIH Innovation Awards 2026

The EdTech Innovation Hub Awards celebrate excellence in global education technology, with a particular focus on workforce development, AI integration, and innovative learning solutions across all stages of education.

Now open for entries, the ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 recognize the companies, platforms, and individuals driving transformation in the sector, from AI-driven assessment tools and personalized learning systems, to upskilling solutions and digital platforms that connect learners with real-world outcomes.

Submissions are open to organizations across the UK, the Americas, and internationally. Entries should highlight measurable impact, whether in K–12 classrooms, higher education institutions, or lifelong learning settings.

Winners will be announced on 14 January 2026 as part of an online showcase featuring expert commentary on emerging trends and standout innovation. All winners and finalists will also be featured in our first print magazine, to be distributed at BETT 2026.

Published on
12/09/2025 – 8:30 GMT+2

A new award will celebrate bad, ill-conceived, or downright dangerous uses of artificial intelligence (AI) — and its organisers are seeking the internet’s input.

The AI Darwin Awards reward the “visionaries” that “outsource our poor decision-making to machines”.

It has no affiliation with the Darwin Awards, a tongue-in-cheek award that recognises people who “accidentally remov[e] their own DNA” from the gene pool by dying in absurd ways.

To win one of the AI-centred awards, the nominated companies or people must have shown “spectacular misjudgement” with AI and “ignored obvious warning signs” before their tool or product went out. 

Bonus points are given out to AI deployments that made headlines, required emergency response, or “spawned a new category of AI safety research”.

“We’re not mocking AI itself — we’re celebrating the humans who used it with all the caution of a toddler with a flamethrower,” an FAQ page about the awards reads.

Ironically, the anonymous organisers said they will verify nominations partly through an AI fact-checking system, which means they ask multiple large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Google’s Gemini whether the stories submitted are true.

The LLMs rate a story’s truthfulness out of 10, then the administrators of the site average the scores with an AI calculator. If the average is above five, the story is considered “verified” and eligible for an AI Darwin Award. 

OpenAI, McDonald’s among early nominees

One of the approved nominations for the first AI Darwin Awards is the American fast food chain McDonald’s. 

The company built an AI chatbot for job recruitment called “Olivia” that was safeguarded by an obvious password: 123456, exposing a reported 64 million people’s hiring data to hackers.

Another early nominee is OpenAI for the launch of its latest chatbot model GPT-5. French data scientist Sergey Berezin claimed he got GPT-5 to unknowingly complete harmful requests “without ever seeing direct malicious instructions”.

The winners will be determined by a public vote during the month of January, with the announcement expected in February.

The only prize: “immortal recognition for their contribution to humanity’s understanding of how not to use artificial intelligence,” the organisers said.

The hope of the awards is to serve as “cautionary tale[s]” for future decision-makers so they agree to test AI systems before deploying them.

The UK has always had a special place in my story. Canary Wharf is where my career began in the 90s, during a period of profound transformation for the country’s financial sector. Reflecting on my first three months as Google UK lead, it’s clear that the pace of AI innovation is driving an even greater sense of historic opportunity, not just in the City, but across the entire country.

Recently, I attended a technology industry dinner at the historic Mansion House. The evening was an electric pairing of tradition and transformation – a blend that the UK has perfected. The room was filled with British business leaders, policymakers, and trailblazers across the tech sector, eager to uncover how AI-powered technologies could help solve some of the biggest challenges of our generation. This opportunity to build on the country’s rich heritage for pioneering world leading breakthroughs is why I’m excited to be back in the UK to lead Google’s operations here.

The UK: a hub for AI innovation & cultural influence

During my 15 years at Google, I’ve held a variety of regional and global roles, partnering with a diverse range of organisations to turn complex challenges into technological opportunities. Throughout that time, the UK has always stood out as a hotbed of innovation, a global epicenter for AI research — in particular, the work of our remarkable Google DeepMind colleagues — and a pioneer in the international advertising industry.

The UK has long been a nation of early adopters. This is why the UK was one of the first countries to roll-out new Gemini-powered products, such as AI Mode — a new way to search for information, developed to cater to the growing number of people asking longer and more complex queries.

UK consumer behaviour is constantly evolving, across streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping. That’s why Google and YouTube are uniquely positioned to empower UK businesses to thrive, in a dynamic digital environment. It’s been inspiring getting to know the teams here in the UK who are helping businesses of all sizes meet the moment and use AI-powered tools to turn their online presence into real-world revenue, providing a vital engine for UK economic growth.

The UK’s cultural influence is also undeniable, as evidenced by well established homegrown British YouTube creators, such as Amelia Dimoldenberg and Brandon B who have become new media powerhouses in their own right. Or the England squad Lionesses, like Lucy Bronze who are both athletes and content creators in their own right, inspiring young female footballers to strive for excellence on and off the pitch, while winning for the UK. YouTube, which celebrated its 20th birthday earlier this year, is transforming how businesses use AI to reach new audiences. I’m proud of our leadership in this space, and the site’s potential to connect even more brands with a new generation of consumers.

Seizing the opportunity ahead

The construction of our first UK data centre in Waltham Cross, our new King’s Cross development and our AI Works initiative — our partnership with British organisations to help uncover the most effective ways to accelerate AI adoption and upskilling — are just some of the significant investments we’re making in the UK’s digital future. The UK is a country unlike any other and this is an incredible time to be back.