AI in South Australian Schools: What IT Teams Need to Know

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant possibility—it’s actively shaping classrooms throughout South Australia. As the only Australian jurisdiction choosing to harness rather than prohibit AI in schools, South Australia is setting a benchmark for the thoughtful adoption of generative AI tools in education. For IT Managers and in-school ICT teams, this evolution brings both transformative potential and heightened accountability.

The Rise of EdChat: South Australia’s Custom AI Tool

At the centre of South Australia’s AI strategy stands EdChat—a purpose-built generative AI chatbot, developed by the Department for Education in collaboration with Microsoft. Leveraging Azure OpenAI and underpinned by GPT-4, EdChat is expressly tailored for educational environments, featuring enhanced safeguards to protect sensitive student information and ensure robust, compliant content filtering.

Following a successful large-scale pilot involving over 10,000 students and hundreds of educators, EdChat is now being implemented across all public high schools statewide.

Key Responsibilities for IT Teams

As AI becomes an integral part of school digital infrastructure, IT teams are entrusted with ensuring its secure, compliant, and outcomes-focused deployment. Here’s what you need to consider:

1. Data Privacy and Security

• EdChat operates within the Department's secure, controlled environment and does not retain or learn from student inputs.
• IT teams must ensure network configurations, firewalls, and access controls are consistently aligned with departmental guidelines to prevent data leakage or unauthorised access.

2. Content Safety and Filtering

• EdChat utilises Azure AI Content Safety to proactively identify and prevent the display of inappropriate, harmful, or non-compliant material.
• IT teams should proactively monitor usage logs and work closely with educators to promptly identify and address any anomalies.

3. User Access and Authentication

• EdChat requires all users to authenticate using their official school credentials. IT teams are responsible for:
  • Oversee secure user provisioning and timely de-provisioning.
  • Implement secure single sign-on (SSO) integration wherever possible.
  • Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all staff accounts.

4. Device and Network Readiness

• AI tools can place significant demands on infrastructure and resources. IT teams should:
  • Evaluate device compatibility with EdChat and assess performance.
  • Ensure your school network delivers reliable bandwidth and enterprise-grade Wi-Fi coverage.

  • As user adoption of EdChat grows, proactively develop a plan to scale core infrastructure.

5. Training and Support

• While EdChat is user-friendly, effective adoption relies on structured support. IT teams should:
  • Facilitate onboarding sessions.
  • Develop quick-reference guides and provide troubleshooting.
  • Partner with digital learning coordinators to enhance teaching outcomes

Private Schools: A Broader Landscape

While public schools are implementing EdChat, many independent schools have integrated AI tools such as ChatGPT, Quillbot, DALL·E, and WolframAlpha. For ICT teams supporting these environments, it is essential to:

• Evaluate third-party AI tools to ensure adherence to all relevant privacy regulations.
• Develop internal policies that govern the responsible deployment of AI solutions.
• Stay up to date with the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools, which provides national guidance for the safe integration of AI.

Looking Ahead: Building AI Literacy

The State Government's strategy reflects a belief that AI not merely a technology, but a capability that students need to build.  IT teams play a pivotal role in enabling schools to become AI-literate environments, where students can not just work with AI - but understand how it works.

As AI technology continues to advance, the responsibility for enabling secure and effective use in education rests with IT leaders. Whether you are supporting EdChat across public schools or managing an integrated AI landscape in an independent school, your expertise is vital in shaping future-ready South Australian students.