Why be cautious of AI?
Behind the hype, there are many problems for students.
Why should we as parents be cautious about our children using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in schools?
Since LLMs (Large Language Models) exploded in popularity in 2023, "AI" has become a multi-billion dollar industry, making up most of the stock market growth in 2025, despite doubts about its usefulness
Companies like Microsoft and SchoolAI are aggressively targeting teachers and schools in North America. As of 2025, around 80% of educators say they use AI in the classroom in some form
The hype around AI, and millions of dollars in advertising mean that the negative effects of AI on children have been ignored.
Image: CDC
AI harms learning
Studies show that when people use AI products they learn less (Kosmyna et al. 2025, exhibit poorer critical thinking (Lee et al. 2025), and are unable to accurately judge their own performance (Fernandes 2025).
When students receive "AI tutors", they use them as a "crutch", then perform poorly when the chatbots are no longer available (Bastani et al. 2024). Even in adults, when professionals rely on AI tools, they lose skills. At a time when students should be developing skills, introducing AI can harm that growth.
Researchers at Cambridge University and Microsoft found that students who used Microsoft Copilot as a study aid performed worse than students who just took notes (Kreijkes et al. 2025).
Commercially-available chatbots "agree" with the user even if the user is factually incorrect (Nature 2025).
Most students use chatbots to solve problems for them, rather than to learn (Anthropic 2025).
Image: Kelly Sikkema
AI harms children's mental health
When children interact with chatbots, they form social bonds with software products rather than with their teachers and classmates.
Companies design their chatbots to be agreeable because it drives engagement. By the time they are teens, most children regularly use chatbots for personal advice (Common Sense Media 2025).
Chatbots have talked to young children about sexual topics and encouraged children to commit suicide.
"Chat-bot psychosis", caused by prolonged interaction with chatbots, has affected many adults and has prompted a class-action lawsuit.
We need a pause on AI in schools
We demand that the British Columbia Ministry of Education and Child Care enact a two-year pause on AI in classrooms.
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