Google DeepMind’s six-month pilot in Northern Ireland put its Gemini AI and Workspace tools into the hands of 100 teachers, who reported saving about 10 hours a week on tasks ranging from drafting parent letters to creating risk assessments and lesson content. The program, run with the Northern Ireland Education Authority’s C2k initiative, logged more than 600 use cases, including using NotebookLM to turn curricula into study podcasts and to build visual “MindMaps” that helped neurodivergent students grasp big-picture concepts.
Educators cited time savings and more personalized instruction, with some using AI to tailor lessons, generate images to spur creative writing, and support Irish-language teaching. C2k plans broader training following the pilot, while Google emphasized that AI should augment, not replace, teachers. The effort adds to Big Tech’s push to embed AI in classrooms amid calls for responsible deployment and training to ensure alignment with pedagogy and student outcomes.





























