Starting in 2026, some high school students in Denmark will be allowed to use artificial intelligence tools to prepare for English language exams, the country’s Education Ministry announced on Friday.
The experimental policy will apply exclusively to the oral component of the English exam for the high school diploma. According to the ministry, once students receive their assigned topic, they will have one hour to prepare, during which they may use “all available tools, including generative AI.” Students will then deliver their oral presentation in person before an examiner.
Education Minister Mattias Tesfaye explained the rationale behind the initiative, saying:
“We are launching pilot schemes to try to find the right balance. With students growing up in both analogue and digital worlds, we need to ready them in the best way possible for the reality they will encounter after their schooling.”
However, the written section of the exam will see a shift toward more traditional methods. Students will be required to complete part of the test by hand, a departure from previous years when they typed on internet-connected computers.
“For certain linguistic aspects, it is prudent to have exams that are totally non-digital,” Tesfaye noted, adding that the change will help reduce cheating and foster individual writing styles.
Denmark has allowed internet use during exams since 2008, but incorporating AI marks a significant new step in education reform. The pilot program will be voluntary, open only to schools that choose to participate.
The announcement comes amid a growing global debate on whether AI should be viewed as an educational aid or a threat to academic standards, as governments grapple with preparing students for an AI-driven economy without compromising integrity.
