Disruptive technology in the classroom
The classroom has seen the introduction of many different types of technology in the past, from the printing press to calculators. Both initially seen as disruptors, they revolutionised education, just as the internet has done, and then AI turns up.
Transformational
‘AI’s transformative role in history education is multifaceted,’ argues Dylan Callens. ‘It ranges from enhancing the accessibility of historical documents to providing immersive experiences that were once unimaginable.’ (Callens, D. (2023).
‘In history education,’ Callens maintains, ‘AI has begun to revolutionise both teaching methodologies and the learning experience’. (Callens, D. (2023).
Gen AI allows teachers and students to access vast amounts of digital information, well beyond the textbook. This has changed educational expectations and shifted the dial from the collection of information to the appraisal of information. (DeSilva, J. (2024).
Real or fake?
The question is, what is authentic and what is fake? The emphasis for history students has shifted to the reliability and bias of evidence. This is not new and comes with a perennial warning about checking sources and facts. AI needs to be double-checked for accuracy and authenticity. (Hickey, P. (2024).
‘Hallucinations’
AI tends to create what are called ‘hallucinations’ by using a Large Language Model (LLM) for its learning. Digital NSW puts it this way
It’s essential to consider the risks associated with Gen AI. While Gen AI excels in answering questions and presenting information engagingly, its accuracy remains to be determined. The technology sometimes encounters a phenomenon known as ‘hallucination,’ confidently producing nonsensical or off-topic information. (Digital NSW (2025b)
A consequence of this process is that students need to double-check AI-produced material. Doing this, students are taught the need to ask questions and verify their sources and hopefully will value critical thinking. These skills are essential in a digital classroom.
Teacher’s toolkit
Irish history educator Patrick Hickey argues that AI can be a great addition to the teacher’s toolbox for history lessons. AI can nuance lesson material and create ‘bespoke’ lesson material for learners of different abilities. He maintains that it is essential that teachers do not abandon traditional teaching methods. (Hickey, P. (2024).
Increased classroom anxiety
While Hickey and others promote the use of Gen AI, many educators find the technology a challenge and that it has increased anxiety in the classroom.
These have influenced the thinking of the American Historical Association, which has developed Guiding Principles for Artificial Intelligence in History Education.
These guidelines could equally apply to any Australian history classroom.
Guiding Principles for Artificial Intelligence in History Education
In creating this policy position, the AHA recognised that while Gen AI presented opportunities, it also understood that many teachers were ‘overwhelmed, distracted, or frustrated by these technologies’. (AHA committee 2025)
Consequently, the AHA developed a list of five guiding principles. (AHA committee 2025)
- Historical Thinking Matters (a) Historical thinking remains essential in an age of AI. (b) Many disciplines and professions are changing; the historical discipline will too..
2. Generative AI and Its Limitations (a) AI produces texts, images, audio, and video, not truths. (b) For all its capacities, generative AI regularly hallucinates content, references, sources, and quotations. (c) AI introduces a false sense of certainty where uncertainty exists.
3. AI Literacy (a) Banning generative AI is not a long-term solution; cultivating AI literacy is. (b) Generative AI can be a valuable partner in the classroom. (c) Creativity is even more essential in an age of generative AI. (d) Training future history educators requires clear and transparent engagement with generative AI.
4. Concrete and Transparent Policies (a) History educators must develop concrete and transparent policies for AI usage and communicate these to students. (b) Experiment, reflect, revise.
5. The Value of Historical Expertise (a) Generative AI cannot replace historical methodology. (b) There are no shortcuts to expertise. (c) History education must continue to cultivate habits of mind that current and future students will rely on to thrive in a world shaped by generative AI.
This statement of principles was supported by two appendices, a glossary of terms and an example of an AI policy table for use in history education. (AHA committee 2025)
Looking ahead
The future of AI will only grow, and many will agree with Patrick Hickey when he argues that its successful application depends on critical assessment and ‘addressing its limitations’.
‘It is only then, ’ Hickey maintains, ‘we can harness AI’s potential to foster a more inclusive, engaging, and innovative learning environment that prepares students for the complexities of the past and the challenges of the future.’ (Hickey, P. (2024).
This is particularly worrying in the face of how AI technology is developing in ways that even its developers do not understand, argues journalist Waleed Aly in the Sydney Morning Herald. Aly reports that AI has begun lying, ‘giving answers that are untrue, and which it knows to be untrue’. Aly, W. (2025).
If these developments play out, then skills that history teaches students – writing and developing arguments, assessing evidence, and dealing with the phenomenon of change over time – are more critical than ever. (Stearns, Peter N. (2020).
Conclusion
In the history classroom, the role of teachers is to enhance students’ basic history thinking skills – experience in handling varied data, building critical thinking and enhancing the capacity to understand change. (Stearns 2020) This can be done using new technologies, including AI, and traditional teaching methods.
The AHA guidelines for AI could equally apply to history classrooms in Australia.
Reference
AHA Ad Hoc Committee on AI in History Education (2025). Guiding Principles for Artificial Intelligence in History Education. [online] American Historical Association. Available at: https://www.historians.org/resource/guiding-principles-for-artificial-intelligence-in-history-education/ [Accessed 8 Aug. 2025].
Aly, W. (2025). The treasurer is telling us to stay calm, but this could be the time to panic. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-treasurer-is-telling-us-to-stay-calm-but-this-could-be-the-time-to-panic-20250807-p5ml5k.html [Accessed 8 Aug. 2025].
Callens, D. (2023). AI in History Education: Enhancing Classrooms. [online] The Cautiously Optimistic Teacher – Empowering Teachers. Available at: https://teachers-blog.com/ai-in-history-education-enhancing-classrooms/ [Accessed 8 Aug. 2025].
DeSilva, J. (2024). Revolutionizing History Education Through AI. [online] http://www.historica.org. Available at: https://www.historica.org/blog/ai-in-history-classrooms [Accessed 8 Aug. 2025].
Digital NSW (2025b). Generative AI: basic guidance | NSW Government (Digital NSW) [online] http://www.digital.nsw.gov.au. Available at: https://www.digital.nsw.gov.au/policy/artificial-intelligence/generative-ai-basic-guidance [Accessed 7 Aug. 2025].
Hickey, P. (2024). Bridging the Past and Future: The Impact of AI on History Education – A Journey into AI-Enhanced History Teaching. [online] EuroClio – Inspiring History and Citizenship Educators. Available at: https://euroclio.eu/2024/02/23/bridging-the-past-and-future-the-impact-of-ai-on-history-education-a-journey-into-ai-enhanced-history-teaching/ [Accessed 8 Aug. 2025].
Stearns, Peter N. (2020). Why Study History? Revisited – AHA. [online] American Historical Association. Available at: https://www.historians.org/perspectives-article/why-study-history-revisited-september-2020/ [Accessed 7 Aug. 2025].
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