Armenian schools and universities receive around 50,000 educational subscriptions to ChatGPT Edu and Codex

Armenia’s Deputy Ministers of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Anna Babajanyan and Kristina Tataryan met members of a delegation from the international digital platform OpenAI, who are in Armenia on a working visit, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport said in a statement.

The meeting was attended by Alina Leon, who is responsible for cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, as well as representatives of OpenAI’s education, research and technical teams.

It was noted that, as a result of cooperation between the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, OpenAI and Firebird, Armenian schools and higher education institutions have had access to the ChatGPT Edu and Codex platforms since September, receiving around 50,000 educational subscriptions. The sides discussed the progress of the programme’s pilot phase, teacher training, the development of AI competencies, mechanisms for evaluating the programme’s results, principles for safe and responsible use, as well as opportunities for further expansion.

Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Anna Babajanyan presented the priorities for the use of AI tools in general education, emphasising that at this stage the main focus is on supporting teachers and developing their professional capacities. At the same time, AI is viewed as a tool for supporting students’ individual educational needs and progress.

Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Kristina Tataryan emphasised the guiding role of teachers, taking into account that students are already actively using various AI tools.

It was noted that supporting materials and examples of instructions for AI tools have been developed for teachers and school administrators, which can be used for lesson planning, developing educational materials in line with standards, and developing different approaches to assessment.

During the discussion, the sides addressed initiatives aimed at developing AI literacy in the education system. In cooperation with partner organisations, the “Generation AI” and Step AI educational programmes, designed for upper secondary schools, are being implemented.

OpenAI representatives said that teachers are already showing strong interest and engagement in the initial phase of the programme. The importance of involving Armenian researchers, universities and educational organisations was also emphasised in order to develop local research capacities and establish links with international partners. The sides also discussed issues related to developing webinars for teachers, short instructional videos and materials aligned with the curriculum.

Key topics of the meeting included the safe and responsible use of AI by students, child protection, raising parental awareness, and developing appropriate policies in educational institutions.

The participants highlighted the importance of collecting factual data during the pilot phase, studying the experiences of teachers and educational institutions, and assessing the programme’s geographical and substantive scope.

OpenAI representatives expressed their readiness to continue cooperation by supporting research, teacher training and the development of policies on the use of AI. The importance of using AI tools in youth policy programmes was also emphasised.

During the initial phase of the initiative, in the 2026-2027 academic year, access to ChatGPT Edu will be financed by Firebird. Following an assessment of the programme’s effectiveness and its impact on educational outcomes, the possibility of state funding will be considered.

As part of their visit to Armenia, members of the OpenAI delegation also held meetings with representatives of the Higher Education and Science Committee, the National Centre for Educational Technologies, and the National Centre for Education Development and Innovation.