Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a pillar of education. This raises some key questions for parents as to how it will impact their children’s learning experience. Experts, including educator and AI advocate Lee, emphasize the need for an intentional approach to harnessing AI’s power. They further emphasize the importance of addressing challenges posed by misinformation and the erosion of academic freedom. The landscape of AI in education is changing quickly. That’s why it’s so important for parents, teachers, and students to know what it should actually be for and how it works.
This is what worries Lee, especially as the fear and hype around the use of AI tools in classrooms has provoked some severe reactions from educators themselves. Misinformation in all forms and threats to academic integrity are the front-and-center issue of these conversations. Unlike print, AI can produce high-quality content and hyper-target information at incredible speeds. Yet many educators rightly fear it will be detrimental to student learning and assessment. Accordingly, schools and districts are faced with the challenge of creating workable policies to combat these behaviors.
The Current State of AI in Education
As it stands today, there are no proven best practices for implementing AI in school environments. This absence of a coordinated effort creates a confusing landscape for educators, making it difficult to understand how to best incorporate AI tools. Even so, AI applications have already started to take root in different areas of education. From personalized education platforms that adapt to individual learning styles to immersive learning experiences that engage students in new ways, AI is reshaping how students learn.
AI tools have progressed further in terms of grading assistance, helping teachers save time and focus more on instruction. Companies like Kahoot have developed new AI-assisted tools that give students the ability to interact with materials on an individual basis through customized interactive games. These advancements foster greater engagement and interactivity, providing reciprocal benefits that will lead to an improved learning experience.
While the rewards are undeniable, Lee believes it’s still important for parents to reinforce to their children that learning should be a difficult endeavor. This both-of-these-is-true perspective is critical as students increasingly use powerful AI tools that have the potential to make learning more dynamic and personalized. He reminds us that technology should be used to improve learning. It should not supplant the need for critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are crucial to academic success.
How Parents Can Get Involved
Here are his three steps every parent should take to educate themselves and actively participate in their child’s educational journey.
Parents need to make an effort to find out what’s being taught in the classroom. This requires understanding which AI tools teachers are using, and how these tools are supporting or hindering students’ learning experiences.
Second, building relationships with school leaders will help equip parents with a deeper understanding of how their school thinks about and uses AI technologies. Parents should be asking if the school has developed an AI policy for the current academic year. This is critical with conversations around responsible use agreements likely coming in the 2025-26 academic year.
Lastly, parent-child conversations about the dos and don’ts of using AI can foster a healthy understanding of technology’s role in education. By talking about the right uses and dangers that exist, parents can help their kids have safe, productive experiences with AI tools.
Addressing Concerns About Cognitive Abilities
Given increasing fears regarding AI’s effect on our ability to think, learn, and understand, Lee seems to offer a more sober view. He’s not so worried about a catastrophic drop in cognitive abilities from AI use in schools. Rather, he calls for a more nuanced approach that understands the strengths and shortcomings of technology when applied to educational settings.
When AI policies are quickly drafted, they tend to focus on integrity and compliance, lacking detailed guidance at the level of the individual instructor. This gap leaves teachers navigating uncharted territory as they strive to maintain academic standards while integrating innovative tools into their curricula.
Education technology companies such as Duolingo and Khan Academy have developed AI-based tutors. These passionate educators make hands-on learning foreign language, math, and writing concepts come to life. These resources are indicative of a broader shift toward personalized, streamlined learning experiences made possible through technology. Organizations such as CRAFT are always adding to their repository of free plug-in resources. These tools provide students with the knowledge bases and critical reasoning to question how AI is being used across disciplines.
As the new school year unfolds, it is common for teachers to require students and parents to sign disclosures affirming their understanding of course rules. This simple practice sets the stage for communicating specific and clear expectations around all technology use during class, including AI tools.