Let’s Think Critically about AI in Education

Arecent opinion piece in the New York Timestitled "A.I. Will Destroy Critical Thinking in K-12" posited that artificial intelligence (AI) in schools is unregulated and the integration of said technology will have dramatic consequences for our education system.

A frequently leveraged critique against technology in schools often conflates the technology used by adults or kids outside of the classroom with the tools built for use inside the classroom. These educational tools are subject to a robust framework of federal laws that aim to protect student privacy, prove the tool works, ensure accessibility, and more. Laws like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA/ESEA), the Individuals with Disabilities in Education (IDEA), and hundreds of state and local laws already apply to the use of technology, including AI, in schools. The author also ignores that 25 states have published guidance on how to integrate AI, with many more to come.

In 2023, we launched the Education Technology Industry's Principles for the Future of AI in Education, calling for AI technologies in education to address the needs of learners, educators, and families. We do not support the use of tools that grab headlinesin schools. Yet these, and not the myriad other tools that incorporate AI to help learners and educators, are the only ones the author addresses. AI technologies used in education must protect student data and must protect the civil rights of those students.

It's not time to throw the baby out with the bathwater just because of misconceptions on how things work in education. Look to students, educators, school leaders, and parentsthat are exploring how to thoughtfully integrate tools that use AI and choosing not to integrate those that won't address the needs of students.