South Australia will expand the use of its home-grown AI tool EdChat across all public high schools from next term, following a trial involving more than 10,000 students.
The state remains the only jurisdiction in Australia not to have banned AI in schools, with the government instead opting to harness the technology for learning and teacher support. Developed in partnership with Microsoft, EdChat is designed specifically for education and includes safety controls to protect students from harmful content.
An independent review published today found that most students used EdChat during school hours for curriculum support, with 93 per cent of prompts related to classroom subjects. Teachers and students engaged with the platform at similar rates, with 36 per cent of educators and 41 per cent of students using the tool at least once. Teachers reported particular benefits in lesson planning, curriculum management and drafting communications, leading to reduced workloads.
Education Minister Blair Boyer said the expansion marked a deliberate choice to embrace AI rather than exclude it. “AI will be a part of our work and lives in the future, which means we have a responsibility to educate young people and our staff about its appropriate and effective use,” he said.
“In South Australia, we have embraced the technology, rather than attempt to ignore it and ban it. We would be doing a disservice to our students otherwise given AI is now part of people’s lives. This is why we have worked with Microsoft to develop a safe version for use in schools that teaches them how to use AI responsibly and effectively.
“We have learnt a lot from the trial and are now in a position to expand it to all public high schools so that all students have the same opportunities to explore this new technology. We are using AI to transform our education. Students are not only learning how to use it responsibly, but they are using it to better understand information, master their skills and think critically about different perspectives. This work puts South Australia on the cutting-edge of AI, leading the way on both a global and national scale and I’m really pleased to see other jurisdictions now following our lead.”
Assistant Minister for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy Michael Brown said the initiative had already begun to reshape classrooms. “South Australia has led the way in the application of artificial intelligence, embracing the opportunity to support both student learning, and reduce teacher workload,” he said.
“Exciting, time-saving elements have already been installed as part of EdChat, but further upgrades are being developed to ensure this tool continues better learning outcomes and teacher support. Student safety and learning outcomes remain at the forefront of our innovative approach to ensure students are equipped for the real world.”
The report highlighted examples of how students are using EdChat, from practising French and exploring career pathways to rephrasing difficult instructions, tackling maths problems and designing quizzes with adjustable difficulty.
Adelaide Botanic High School principal Sarah Chambers said the technology had helped students and staff work in new ways without replacing core teaching values. “Here at Adelaide Botanic High School, we embrace the opportunity to be part of a trial of EdChat because as educators, we’re proud to champion a future-focussed approach grounded in innovation,” she said.
“Our school is a living ecosystem for ethical innovation—where EdChat serves as a tool to enhance, not replace, the relationships that sit at the heart of education. We work with our students to use EdChat, not to take shortcuts, but to challenge themselves, ask better questions, and develop their own voice and creativity. Using EdChat, they reflect, collaborate, and think critically, so they are not just learning content, they are learning how to learn.”
The state government said upgrades would continue as the tool becomes a fixture across the school system, with the aim of embedding responsible AI use into everyday education.
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