Last summer Ofsted published research into 21 early adopter schools that were using AI.

Among the many findings, one of the most striking was that “most schools and colleges had an AI champion who was instrumental in getting senior leaders to embrace AI and bringing staff on board”.

It was a sentiment that validated an approach we have also taken across our network of 70-plus schools in more than 30 countries, whereby AI champions have been the difference between AI gathering digital dust and AI transforming education.

After all, what makes change happen is not the technology itself but the people who understand how it can help and put in the time and effort to make that a reality.

Schools appointing AI champions

To find our champions, we didn’t interview candidates or mandate appointments. Instead we asked, “Who’s already experimenting with AI?”, allowing those in our schools to put themselves forward and explain what they were doing.

This meant we had candidates ranging from a humanities teacher using AI for disaster research then teaching students to verify outputs, to a maths teacher helping students to use AI as a personal tutor, via a librarian linking AI to robotics.

In most schools we had one clear choice but in some, such as Cambridge House British International School, in Valencia, and ICS Rome, we have two champions.

Meanwhile, where budgets allow, schools invest in dedicated time and additional leadership roles. In Morocco and the Netherlands, four schools share the expertise of Herve Brunet, director of educational innovation, working with library heads and FabLab managers and AI champions.

Ultimately, though, the critical factor isn’t a number or budget - it’s ensuring that someone has the interest, time and institutional trust to lead.

Half-hearted appointments without some protected time and, more importantly, dedicated space on the CPD calendar, will struggle to find traction and bring about thoughtful change.

Freedom within a framework

Linked to this willingness among teachers to become AI champions was a recognition from us that we could not give rigid mandates but instead had to provide a structure that allows them to innovate.

As such, their remit is around building staff confidence, creating cross-curricular connections and anchoring everything in pedagogy - and celebrating work completed as a physical display for the entire community to see.

Of course, we don’t leave our champions on their own. Half-termly network calls with the head of AI allow champions to share breakthroughs and challenges.

We also maintain a shared resource bank of practical materials - lesson frameworks, policy templates, training presentations - that staff can access to help.

The Ofsted research noted how champions create “contagious enthusiasm” in staffrooms.

This works across schools, too. When a teacher in Chennai shares wellbeing-linked training or one in Paris demonstrates Stem redesign using AI, it sparks adaptation rather than copying. Peer-to-peer learning proves more powerful than centralised directives.

Four examples of impact

Anchoring AI in wellbeing: Chennai’s champion, Selva Kamatchi, approached her community’s immediate needs by identifying five areas covering wellbeing and digital overload, encouraging students to explore screen-time dashboards and addressing distraction and focus.

AI tools were introduced as part of a broader conversation about sustainable technology use. This wellbeing-first approach builds trust and addresses real staff concerns before adding new tools.

Deepening historical understanding: in Rabat, Clare Prost-Jacquot’s students exploring the French Revolution interact with AI chatbots “performing” as historical figures, and question motives before synthesising their own explanations. AI becomes a tool for dialogue and critical thinking, not passive consumption.

Teaching to question, not just use: Jeff Chahda’s “Voices from the Future” project at Lycée Français Guy de Maupassant, in Morocco, asks students to imagine 2035, role-playing podcast hosts debating how AI might change education. They weigh progress against risks, discussing what must remain human. This explicit focus on ethics embeds digital literacy naturally.

Transforming institutional culture: many school visits co-organised by the champions and myself bring together parents, students, teachers and senior leaders to explore AI through practical workshops.

Sessions cover fundamentals, such as how large-language models work and effective prompting, through to critical challenges like safety, bias, hallucinations, transparency and sustainability.

This has helped the communities to develop a shared language for discussing AI’s risks and opportunities, building the informed confidence needed for thoughtful, responsible adoption.

Ultimately, successful AI integration isn’t about platforms or policies. It’s about identifying the right people, giving them time and trust, and creating networks where practical wisdom spreads and thrives.

Richard Human is head of artificial intelligence at international schools group Globeducate