Vodafone Foundation research highlights the emergence of a new ‘AI skills gap’ in Europe

Press Release - London, 20 January 2025 – A new Artificial Intelligence (AI) ‘skills gap’ was revealed today by the global charity Vodafone Foundation in a major new study - The Growing Role of AI in Education. The report found that 27% of children felt left behind when it came to using AI at school, with those from lower income families more at risk from of the AI skills gap than their wealthier peers.

The research suggests that a digital skills shortage amongst teachers and a lack of focus on AI in schools or education policy is causing the new AI Skills Gap. Most of the children surveyed (74%) believing that AI would play a significant role in their professional lives, but less than half feeling adequately prepared by their schools to engage with this new technology.

7,000 children aged 12 - 17 were surveyed by Ipsos across seven European countries, the results suggesting that the integration of AI and digital tools in schools is now at a tipping point. The report confirms that AI’s immense potential while broadly recognised by the education sector is not yet fully or fairly resourced in classrooms, with key findings indicating:

Inequalities in access to AI connectivity and tools for those from low-income families

A shortage of AI skills, content and guidance across the European education sector

Children are concerned about unfairness and inequality AI could drive but are optimistic about the innovative approaches to learning the technology will enable.

Speaking about the research, Joakim Reiter, Chief External and Corporate Affairs Director of Vodafone Group and Trustee of Vodafone Foundation, said: “Our research suggests that a new ‘AI skills gap’ is emerging that could further widen digital skills inequalities, particularly for children from lower-income families. For Europe to fully take advantage of the potential of AI the education sector and policymakers need to ensure this new technology is part of the curriculum for all children, regardless of economic status or geography.”

Vodafone Foundation Managing Director Lisa Felton said: “While students increasingly recognize that AI is an essential part of their futures, a lack of digital skills and preparedness by schools and teachers across Europe is holding many of them back. That’s why Vodafone Foundation’s Skills Upload Jr programme is rolling out new lesson plans on AI across Europe during 2025, building on our existing digital skills programme.”

1. Inequalities of access to AI

The research found low levels of access to internet connectivity and digital tools were a problem for many schools. Of the 7,000 children surveyed, 59% lacked access to digital devices and 51% reported insufficient internet connectivity.

The problem was especially notable for those on lower incomes with 67% lacking access to digital devices and 61% struggling to get online in the classroom, compared with wealthier peers, only 51% of whom lacked access to devices or 46% who struggled with online access at school.

Of the low-income children interviewed less than 10% were familiar with the term AI and only 38% knew how to use AI to improve academic performance. This, compared with 30% of wealthier children being ‘AI aware’ and 76% confident in using the technology to enhance their schoolwork.

2. An AI Skills Shortage

A large majority of all children surveyed (74%) believe that AI will play a significant role in their professional lives, but less than half felt adequately prepared by their schools to engage with this new technology. Worse still, only 44% of children thought their teachers were competent in AI usage with more stating they learnt about AI from their peers (65%) than from teachers (55%).

The fact that less than 50% of schools had an AI usage policy in place and 16% of children said their schools prohibited the use of AI completely, is perhaps compounding the problem further.

3. Concern and Optimism

Students expressed a mix of optimism and concern about AI, with 55% believing the new technology has the potential to make grading fairer, but 46% feared that it might lead to discrimination. 49% worried that AI could also widen gaps in academic success.

But there was also a sense of opportunity in the way AI might influence innovation in education too. Many students saw AI as having the potential to enhance their academic performance (52%) and address societal challenges (37%).

As part of the Vodafone Foundation’s commitment to its ‘Connecting for Good’ strategy, the charity runs the Skills Upload Jr Programme, partnering with governments, schools, and children in nine countries across Europe, ensuring a holistic approach to digital education.

Building on this experience, Vodafone Foundation believes that a more inclusive, prepared, and equitable approach is now needed to integrate AI into education. It is today calling on policymakers, educators, and technology providers to empower students to embrace AI as a tool for learning and future success, while developing ethical AI practices to address concerns about safety, bias, and inequality.

For more media information, please contact:

Rachel.Gatley@vodafone.com, Interim Head of Engagement, Vodafone Foundation.

About The Research

Commissioned as part of the Vodafone Foundation’s commitment to ‘Connecting for Good’ strategy, which sees the foundation combining charitable giving with innovative technology to solve global societal challenges, the research was conducted by IPSOS between September and November 2024. A total of 7,000 children were surveyed, across Germany, UK, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Türkiye. The Czech Republic also participated in a parallel study in Jan 2025.

About Vodafone Foundation

Vodafone Foundation is a leading global not for profit combining its technology and charitable giving to ensure no one is left behind in our digital world. The charity does this in three key areas; Driving Inclusion through Digital Learning, Tackling Harm & Abuse and Emergency and Crisis Support to help millions of individuals and thousands of communities live healthier, happier, and more prosperous lives.