AI in the classroom takes off with no guardrails

The push to prepare kids for the AI future is raising tricky ethical questions about how to bring the technology into the classroom. Early research shows that AI has a lot to offer for schooling. A 2023 study found the technology can provide students with more tailored instruction and feedback, and the United Nations suggested in 2021 that AI chatbots could be a 24/7 personalized educational resource for students when teachers are off the clock. At the same time, evidence is emerging that AI could wreak havoc on a young person’s mental health. The American Psychological Association warned in a health advisory that AI may impair adolescents’ ability to distinguish between human and simulated empathy, and affect their real-world relationships. Eighty percent of educators say their districts do not have policies for responsible use of the technology. “That means the districts or schools haven’t necessarily conducted AI assessments for thinking about how it’s actually being used,” said Robbie Torney, a director of Common Sense Media’s AI education programs. Such policies could be crucial, given the AI education sector itself is largely unregulated.