AI school bans - justified or overreaction?

18 replies

It feels like an overreaction. And to not give any lessons on AI literacy until they are 14 is a mistake. By then they will have been using it for years with no support or guidance

The use of AI in society will only increase over time. It’s inevitable. All that these bans will accomplish is to put these kids further behind. What we should be doing is teaching kids (and teachers) how to use AI responsibly.

These bans feel reactive. Change only sticks when psychological safety comes first, and Kotter's change principles tells us skipping those early stages gets you fast, visible action instead of real change. Without national guidance, "benefit mindset" gets defined district by district, and a complex shift turns into a soundbite in the US.What gets lost is community. Giving teachers access while...

My thoughts are noted in my recent LinkedIn post - BEYOND THE SCREEN-TIME PAUSE. https://lnkd.in/p/gqau-wNHI'm anxious to hear what others think.

The bans are an over reaction. However, they represent legitimate concerns the public has about the chaotic increase in AI use and the published reports of AI agents escaping their guardrails and going rogue. Those of us in the AI in education space who are advocates of teaching young people to use AI tools responsibly and ethically need to be sensitive to the concerns of those who are...

I would agree with the thought that banning AI is an overreaction. At the younger years, there isn't a major need to have students use AI in deep ways, but teaching the digital literacy (& AI literacy) essentials is very important. Even if young students are learning how to think critically about AI generated content, they will be better prepared for using it correctly, appropriately, and...

I've just been writing something about this, so I've been thinking about it quite a bit.Broadly, I think bans can be justified in certain situations, particularly when a school needs students to do the thinking themselves. If I don't want a student using AI for a piece of work, though, I think they should know why.Where I struggle is when the ban becomes the whole answer. It only controls what...

Yep, ban it for all young people who should be developing their minds their critical thinking. They should be learning how to analyse and reason, how to carry out research and find problems and issues in whatever they are dealing with. Learning to use AI usefully and beneficially is not difficult or time consuming, they can learn that at home or in later life very quickly and easily, a short...

It seems an overreaction. The conversation about how to use AI safely, ethically, and efficiently can begin in kindergarten, and by third grade they absolutely can participate in some experiences with using safe platforms and customized chat bots. The conversations about bias and the learning around how to use AI tools effectively and fairly can be embedded in our teaching, similar to how we...

So well said! I agree - "Yet an administrative ban does not solve an instructional problem." I feel that as we do focus on setting limits, we can't pretend as though things are changing quickly and we need to keep conversations going, not ignore what's happening.