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.