Policies and Practices for Regulating Generative AI in Education: An International Perspective

Under the global tide of digital transformation, nations worldwide have established technical standards, application regulations, and ethical guidelines for generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) through administrative directives, legislation, and policy recommendations. As early responders to GenAI-related educational risks, the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom have implemented distinct regulatory paradigms: voluntary compliance-based regulation, prudential risk-based regulation, and flexible outcome-oriented governance. While strategic approaches differ, consensus has emerged on core principles including innovation facilitation, safety assurance, algorithmic transparency, and equity preservation. These jurisdictions advance whole-lifecycle regulation of educational by clarifying technical standards, improving legal basis, standardizing deployment procedures, guiding specific applications, and strengthening social participation. International practices have provided a useful mirror for China: first, balancing technological innovation with pedagogical empowerment through adaptive regulatory philosophies; second, establishing tiered regulatory mechanisms aligned with scenario-specific risk profiles; third, cultivating technical literacy among educators and learners through practice-oriented capacity building; fourth, fostering multi-stakeholder collaborative ecosystems for governance-oriented regulation.