Page 159 - Izobraževanje v dobi generativne umetne inteligence

Generative AI and the Croatian Educational System

The plan also emphasises the importance of educating the school com-
munity about the ethical principles governing AI applications in education.
This includes raising awareness about potential biases, privacy concerns, and
the responsible use of AI tools. Moreover, it calls for the development of ma-
terials to teach about AI and its societal implications, ensuring that students
become informed users and potential innovators of AI technologies.
The National Plan for the Development of the Education System demon-
strates Croatia’s commitment to integrating AI into education as a strategic
priority. By addressing infrastructure, professional development, curriculum
innovation, and ethical considerations, the plan aims to create an education
system that is not only technologically advanced but also equitable and fu-
ture-focused. These initiatives are vital for positioning Croatia as a leader in
AI literacy and ensuring that its students and teachers are well-prepared to
navigate and shape the digital age.

Implementation of measures defined in the strategic documents
In Croatia, several initiatives like the development of the virtual assistant sys-
tem in teaching as part of the ”Support for the Application of Digital Tech-
nologies in Education (BrAIn)” project, which involves several components
contributing to the development of a sophisticated AI system for educational
purposes (Sabic et al., 2024) and have emerged to promote AI literacy and
align educational practices with global standards.
Croatia is making significant strides in integrating artificial intelligence (AI)
education into its elementary and high schools, positioning itself as a leader
within the EU. Key initiatives include:

CARNET’s AI Curriculum Initiative
Supported by the e-Schools project, which has equipped schools nationwide
and digitally trained educators, the curriculum »Artificial Intelligence: From
Concept to Application« was implemented in the 2023/24 academic year as
part of the BrAIn project (Fiore, 2024). Currently, 293 teachers from 248 schools
actively teach this curriculum through extracurricular activities and elective
courses, reaching over 1,000 students. This initiative ensures that both teach-
ers and students are equipped with foundational AI knowledge.

CroAI AI educate program
The AI educate program, organised by the CroAI association, represents an
initiative aimed at empowering educators to integrate artificial intelligence
(AI) into classrooms effectively (https://www.croai.org/education). As part

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