NYC and LA Pause AI in Schools
At the start of this new school year, New York City and Los Angeles Unified School District have taken a huge step to promote student education. They announced that they are pausing AI in schools starting September 1.
This is fantastic news, and shows that policy makers are finally waking up to what researchers and teachers have known for the last two years: that AI does not help students learn.
New York City
New York City is pausing AI in schools up to grade 8, affecting many of the 600,000 students in the district. The pause includes removing Amira and disabling Google Gemini (a chatbot) on school devices.
This change is thanks to the tireless work of thousands of activists who have been campaigning over the last year.
This is a huge step forward, but there is still further to go. The AI Moratorium for NYC Schools coalition (AIM Coalition) released a press statement that highlights some of the shortcomings of this policy.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Unified School District blocked AI on school-issued devices for all students from K-12. This protects over 350,000 students from the harms of AI while at school.
Chicago
Chicago schools have not yet paused AI in their schools, but the majority of candidates back a 3-year pause on AI, thanks to a campaign organized by Illinois Families for Public Schools.
What next?
The current state of AI in education is at a turning point. With the two largest school districts in North America pulling back from AI, and others talking about doing the same, it signals that this technology is not something that can be pushed through without a fight.
On October 17, residents of Vancouver and surrounding areas will able to do the same, and remove this harmful technology from schools.