EdChat to roll out at NHS
junior high school student at a desktop computer
19 March 2026

Nuriootpa High School students now have the opportunity to use EdChat to support their learning.

EdChat is the Department for Education’s secure generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot custom-built for teaching and learning. The Department created EdChat in partnership with Microsoft and has continued to develop it alongside more than 2,500 educators and 10,000 students who have been trialling it since mid-2023.

EdChat has features that make it safer and more suitable for students, compared to openly available AI chatbots. It’s designed to:

  • improve data security and privacy, as all prompts and responses are secured by the department and stored in Australia
  • block inappropriate requests with a content filter
  • prevent the generation of deepfakes or inappropriate images
  • offer tailored content for public education in South Australia.

While EdChat does know each student’s name and year level, it will not learn from them or remember the information it is given.

EdChat is designed to foster learner agency by supporting students to play a role in shaping their learning experiences. It helps students learn how to use AI safely and responsibly while helping to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to use AI effectively and ethically to thrive in a future where AI is integrated into society.

Once EdChat access is enabled, it will be available to students outside of school hours during the school year, including weekends, pupil-free days, school holidays, and public holidays, to support their learning. Please note, EdChat will not be accessible to students during the summer holidays.

To keep interactions suitable for teaching and learning, EdChat has filters that block inappropriate or harmful content. While students’ use of EdChat is not actively monitored by a human in real time, any inappropriate or concerning use of the tool either during or outside of school hours, may be reported to the school the following school day for further follow up. Parents/caregivers, as always, are encouraged to monitor their young person’s internet usage at home, and to remind them to use EdChat in line with our ICT user agreement, which sets out expectations for safe and responsible behaviour.

More information

For further details please refer to the letter which was sent via email to all families on Thursday 19 March. You can also find more information about AI and EdChat on the Department for Education’s website: