In the News

Inside Google’s AI Push Into Schools: ‘It Slowed My Thinking Down’

The risk of cognitive and emotional dependence, along with falling test scores, are fueling a backlash

An Open Letter to American School Districts: Disable YouTube and Gemini AI on School-Issued Devices and Ensure Student Safety

On October 5, 2026, thirteen leading organizations and experts on technology in schools sent an open letter to the 150 largest American school districts, requesting that they immediately disable YouTube and Gemini AI on school-issued devices and investigate student internet use more broadly to ensure student safety.

AI is hurting students’ ability to think, educators say: ‘It’s the illusion of learning’

As more college students get help from rapidly improving large language models, faculty members worry they are missing out on the struggles required for real learning.

What elementary schools are slowly learning about screens

Technology came to “optimize” education. Young children pay a heavy price.

These NY Teachers Are Ditching Screens. Lawmakers Want Others to Follow.

“We’ve rushed to put these devices in kids’ hands, and these platforms in front of their faces without ever asking, is it effective, and cognitively, is it good for kids?” —Andrew Gounardes, New York State Senate

Generative AI banned on LAUSD-issued devices for students

“Previously, LAUSD students aged 13 and older who completed required Digital Citizenship instruction and acknowledged the Responsible Use Policy could access approved generative AI tools. Since the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year, the District practice has been to restrict student access to generative AI platforms while the District reviews instructional use and safeguards.”

New York City Public Schools banning AI use through middle school starting this year

In a statement to ABC News, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that the city is implementing a moratorium on generative AI for students in pre-school or 2-K through eighth grade and will spend the next year "studying the impacts of this technology."

A Chromebook in the Hand of Every Child.’ Did Schools Go Too Far?

Classroom technology use has exploded in districts across the U.S., especially since the pandemic. Now, a growing movement of parents is asking schools to rethink their policies.

Back-to-school with Big Tech - Fresh Air Episode

Tech giants like Google and Microsoft have been competing for years to get their devices, software and AI into public schools, even offering free training programs for teachers and students. These brands are helping shape what and how children learn. NYT reporter Natasha Singer says, “Some teachers are using AI to generate their lesson plans and assignments and their quizzes, and then kids are using AI to do them and then teachers are using AI to grade them. So we just have bots talking to bots. Is that what we want education to look like?”

Listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fresh-air/id214089682?i=1000787456076

What Do Students Lose When They Stop Writing?

Educators are worried that many students can no longer write essays with A.I. And it’s costing more than just grammar skills.

Pause GenAI in PreK-12 Schools for 5 Years, Orgs and Experts Say

A position statement calling for the pause was released today by Fairplay and signed by over 260 organizations and experts.

Longitudinal effect of early social media use on standardized learning outcomes during school career

In a longitudinal study of more than 5,000 students (in Italy), research found that: Using social media in Middle School predicts lower standardized test scores in high school. 10th graders who started social media before 9th grade are 6 months behind their peers on math and reading, and they are more distracted by their phones.

Thinking—Fast, Slow, and Artificial: How AI is Reshaping Human Reasoning and the Rise of Cognitive Surrender

“Unlike cognitive offloading, which is typically strategic and task-specific (e.g., using GPS to navigate), cognitive surrender entails a deeper transfer of agency. Whereas cognitive offloading is a strategic delegation of deliberation, using a tool to aid one's own reasoning, cognitive surrender is an uncritical abdication of reasoning itself. It reflects not merely the use of external assistance, but a relinquishing of cognitive control: the user accepts the AI’s response without critical evaluation, substituting it for their own reasoning.”

AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking

This study investigated the impact of AI tool usage on critical thinking skills, with a particular focus on cognitive offloading as a potential mediating variable. The research employed various methods, including ANOVA, correlation analysis, multiple regression, and random forest regression, to analyze data collected from a diverse sample of participants. The key findings indicate that higher usage of AI tools is associated with reduced critical thinking skills, and cognitive offloading plays a significant role in this relationship. 

Academic and Popular Research: Ed Tech in Schools

Compiled by Albany Families for Intentional Technology (AFIT)

A shareable and comprehensive document of Ed Tech Literature with articles and studies organized by topic.

Compiled by Schools Beyond Screens and Distraction Free Schools.

The Evidence Base on AI in K-12: A 2026 Review by the SCALE Initiative at Stanford

This report gives an overview of the characteristics of the current research on AI that is relevant to K-12 settings, and summarizes key takeaways from strong causal studies that examine how AI tools can impact students and teachers.