K-8 schools are rapidly adopting A.I. tools despite growing concerns about risks and corporate influence.

“We are potentially undermining complex thinking, changing the development of sociality, and mistaking the learning goal. We are cutting off learning at the knees.”   Professor Mary Helen Immordino-Yang

“They (Google) so clearly know that this is going to be bad for kids, and yet they’re still going to do it.” Amanda Bickerstaff is the co-founder and C.E.O. of the organization AI for Education

Google’s decision to make Gemini available to all ages, she said, marked one of the few times in her career that she has lost sleep over a work-related matter; she recalled thinking, “They so clearly know that this is going to be bad for kids, and yet they’re still going to do it.” Bickerstaff went on, “I don’t think they’re asking really basic questions like, ‘If a kid can immediately make a picture instead of draw one, what will happen to that kid’s ability to think on their own and draw?’ ”

Students now engage with programs like Code.org’s Mix & Move with AI and Google’s Gemini A.I. tools pre-installed on Chromebooks, with about 80% of K-12 teachers reporting Chromebook use. Studies from top universities and Education Week’s analysis of 1,300 school districts reveal troubling patterns: one in five student interactions with generative A.I. involved cheating, bullying, or self-harm. Advocacy groups and parent coalitions call for moratoriums, while the National Academy for AI Instruction, funded by a $23 million partnership including Microsoft and OpenAI, trains educators on responsible use. Meanwhile, New York City’s Department of Education is actively seeking public input on A.I. guidelines.

Looking ahead, ongoing debates and policy developments will shape how schools balance A.I.’s promises with its pitfalls.

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By Jessica Winter