KITE

Safer Together: Keeping Apace with the Evolving Digital Landscape

Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered.    1984, George Orwell

When Orwell wrote 1984, his world was witnessing a rapidly evolving scientific and technological landscape. His novel continues to capture the imaginations of those who find there to be many dystopian possibilities of such changes, with the potential of Artificial Intelligence realised in its capacity to, in mere seconds, “rewrite” information and “repaint” images. However, unlike the tightly controlled regime in 1984, which limits access to knowledge, we have endless capacities within education to transform horror into critical awareness and future opportunities.

In line with the messaging from Safer Internet Day 2025 on 11th February, our Week 3 professional development session focused on building greater digital literacy among the staff so that we can navigate the important learning in this space for our students. Under the guidance of our Leader of Digital Innovation and Strategy, Olga Ibrahim, and in collaboration with expert Leon Furze, we explored the safety risks that young women are facing, with the escalating consent issues that arise in relation to Deepfakes and the unregulated ethics of Chatbots at the forefront.

For us, this is about ensuring we are up to date with the risks before delving into the possibilities. As our Digital Strategy evolves this year, our students will have numerous chances to engage in meaningful learning experiences, ensuring they have the knowledge to safely navigate and participate in the exciting possibilities that technology brings.

Ms Lauren Walsh

Director of KITE