Recent federal and state efforts, including an executive order from President Donald Trump and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 30, aim to advance artificial intelligence (AI) education in K-12 schools. However, these policies risk missing the bigger picture, as stated by Jonathan D. Becker, Virginia Mercury.
Public schools have two fundamental purposes: preparing students to be engaged citizens in a democracy and equipping them for the workforce. To fulfill these roles, students must be technologically literate—not just adept at using technology, but capable of making informed decisions about when and how to use it.
Today, AI dominates technological discourse, with profound implications for both work and civic life. A late 2024 Brookings Institute analysis found that “more than 30% of all workers could see at least 50% of their occupation’s tasks disrupted by generative AI.” Meanwhile, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace warns that “AI models enable malicious actors to manipulate information and disrupt electoral processes, threatening democracies.”
Given these risks, AI literacy must be a priority in education—but it must go beyond mere usage. Students need to understand the ethical dilemmas, environmental costs, and legal controversies surrounding AI, including intellectual property disputes.
Public schools have two fundamental purposes: preparing students to be engaged citizens in a democracy and equipping them for the workforce. To fulfill these roles, students must be technologically literate—not just adept at using technology, but capable of making informed decisions about when and how to use it.
Today, AI dominates technological discourse, with profound implications for both work and civic life. A late 2024 Brookings Institute analysis found that “more than 30% of all workers could see at least 50% of their occupation’s tasks disrupted by generative AI.” Meanwhile, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace warns that “AI models enable malicious actors to manipulate information and disrupt electoral processes, threatening democracies.”
Given these risks, AI literacy must be a priority in education—but it must go beyond mere usage. Students need to understand the ethical dilemmas, environmental costs, and legal controversies surrounding AI, including intellectual property disputes.
The Dangers of Over-Reliance on AI in Learning
Integrating AI chatbots into education risks dehumanizing the learning experience. If a student struggles with a concept, they should work through it with peers and teachers—not an AI tutor. As Becker writes:
“I am the parent of a public school student and a critical friend of technology… If my child struggles to grasp a concept, I want them to struggle through it with their classmates and teachers, not some AI chatbot tutor.” Additionally, public-private partnerships promoted in Trump’s executive order could prioritize corporate interests over genuine learning. Becker argues:
“As a taxpayer, I am not interested in supporting the integration of technology that comes from the ‘public-private partnerships’… That’s a not-so-subtle attempt to further enrich the technology leaders who sat on stage at Trump’s inauguration.”
“I am the parent of a public school student and a critical friend of technology… If my child struggles to grasp a concept, I want them to struggle through it with their classmates and teachers, not some AI chatbot tutor.” Additionally, public-private partnerships promoted in Trump’s executive order could prioritize corporate interests over genuine learning. Becker argues:
“As a taxpayer, I am not interested in supporting the integration of technology that comes from the ‘public-private partnerships’… That’s a not-so-subtle attempt to further enrich the technology leaders who sat on stage at Trump’s inauguration.”
A Broader, Interdisciplinary Approach
AI is just one facet of a technologically saturated society. Schools should adopt an interdisciplinary approach, integrating discussions on technology’s societal impact across subjects:
Becker suggests a parallel with how schools handle religion: “The common saying has been that schools can teach about religion, but they cannot teach religion. I favor a similar approach to AI in education. We should teach about AI, not teach with or especially for AI.”
Rather than narrowly focusing on AI integration, schools must prepare students for a technologically complex and morally challenging world. True AI literacy means understanding its risks, ethics, and broader societal implications—not just how to use it. As Becker concludes: “If our schools are to prepare students like my child for the world ahead, they must largely look away from the narrow and shiny new object of AI and meet the broader societal challenge this technology represents.”
- Literature: Assign novels that explore technology’s role in society.
- History: Teach about movements like the Luddites, who resisted automation in ways relevant to today’s AI debates.
- Math: Examine how AI relies on statistical models.
Becker suggests a parallel with how schools handle religion: “The common saying has been that schools can teach about religion, but they cannot teach religion. I favor a similar approach to AI in education. We should teach about AI, not teach with or especially for AI.”
Rather than narrowly focusing on AI integration, schools must prepare students for a technologically complex and morally challenging world. True AI literacy means understanding its risks, ethics, and broader societal implications—not just how to use it. As Becker concludes: “If our schools are to prepare students like my child for the world ahead, they must largely look away from the narrow and shiny new object of AI and meet the broader societal challenge this technology represents.”