Rising Use of AI in Schools Comes With Big Downsides for Students


A split image contrasting the perceived benefits and actual drawbacks of AI in education. On the left, "AI'S PROMISE" depicts a bright, modern classroom where students happily engage with holographic AI interfaces and a friendly AI avatar. On the right, "THE UNSEEN DOWNSIDES" shows a darker, more isolated classroom where students are encapsulated in individual AI pods, surrounded by icons representing "STUNTED CRITICAL THINKING," "SOCIAL ISOLATION," and "RELIANCE & PLAGIARISM," with an ominous alien-like AI figure looming in the background. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
While the integration of AI in schools holds significant promise for personalised learning, its rising use also comes with substantial, often unforeseen, downsides for students. This image starkly contrasts the idealised vision of AI in education with the potential negative realities, highlighting risks such as diminished critical thinking, increased social isolation, and an over-reliance that could foster academic dishonesty. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

Education Week

Summary

A new report from the Center for Democracy and Technology warns that the rapid adoption of AI in schools is undermining students’ relationships, critical thinking and data privacy. In 2024–25, 85 % of teachers and 86 % of students used AI, yet fewer than half received any formal training. The report highlights emotional disconnection, weaker research skills and risks like data breaches and tech-fuelled bullying. While educators acknowledge AI’s benefits for efficiency and personalised learning, experts urge schools to prioritise teacher training, AI literacy, and ethical safeguards to prevent harm. Without adequate guidance, AI could deepen inequities rather than improve learning outcomes.

Key Points

  • AI use has surged across US classrooms, with 85 % of teachers and 86 % of students using it.
  • Students report weaker connections with teachers and peers due to AI use.
  • Teachers fear declines in students’ critical thinking and authenticity.
  • Less than half of teachers and students have received AI-related training.
  • Experts call for stronger AI literacy, ethics education and policy guardrails.

Keywords

URL

https://www.edweek.org/technology/rising-use-of-ai-in-schools-comes-with-big-downsides-for-students/2025/10

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5


Today’s AI hype has echoes of a devastating technology boom and bust 100 years ago


A split image contrasting two eras. On the left, a sepia-toned scene from 100 years ago shows a crowd enthusiastically gathered around industrial machinery and towering power lines, with a banner proclaiming "THE FUTURE OF EVERYTHING!" On the right, a vibrant, futuristic cityscape glows under a digital sky, where a diverse crowd looks up at a holographic brain symbol and text announcing "AI REVOLUTION! UNLIMITED POTENTIAL!". In the foreground, people interact with digital news showing "AI CRASHES" and "TECH LAYOFFS." Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
The intense fervor surrounding today’s AI technology mirrors the intense hype and subsequent devastating bust of a technological revolution a century ago. This side-by-side comparison starkly portrays the recurring cycle of technological innovation and speculation, prompting a cautionary reflection on whether the current AI gold rush could face a similar fate to past booms and busts. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The Conversation

Summary

Cameron Shackell draws parallels between today’s AI boom and the electrification craze of the 1920s. Just as electricity fuelled massive innovation, speculation and eventual collapse, AI is showing similar patterns of overinvestment, market concentration and loose regulation. The 1929 stock market crash revealed the dangers of unregulated “high-tech” exuberance, leading to reforms that transformed electricity into stable infrastructure. Shackell warns that AI could follow the same path—booming unsustainably before a painful correction—unless governments implement thoughtful regulation. The question, he suggests, is whether we can integrate AI safely into daily life before a comparable bust forces reform.

Key Points

  • The 1920s electricity boom mirrors today’s AI surge in hype and speculation.
  • Both technologies reshaped industries and drove market concentration.
  • Lack of oversight in the 1920s helped trigger the Great Depression.
  • AI’s rapid expansion faces similarly weak global regulation.
  • The author urges proactive governance to avoid another tech-driven collapse.

Keywords

URL

https://theconversation.com/todays-ai-hype-has-echoes-of-a-devastating-technology-boom-and-bust-100-years-ago-265492

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5


ChatGPT Has Been My Tutor for the Last Year. I Still Have Concerns.


In a cozy, slightly cluttered student bedroom at night, a young female student sits on the floor with her laptop and books, looking pensively at a glowing holographic interface displaying "CHRONOS AI - Your Personal Learning Hub," showing a tutor avatar, progress, and various metrics. In the window behind her, a shadowy, horned monster with red eyes ominously peers in, symbolizing underlying concerns despite the AI's utility. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
While ChatGPT has served as a personal tutor for many students over the past year, its pervasive integration into learning also brings forth lingering concerns. This image captures a student’s thoughtful yet wary engagement with an AI tutor, visually juxtaposing its apparent utility with an ominous background figure, representing the unresolved anxieties about AI’s deeper implications for education and personal development. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The Harvard Crimson

Summary

Harvard student Sandhya Kumar reflects on a year of using ChatGPT as a learning companion, noting both its benefits and the university’s inconsistent response to generative AI. While ChatGPT has become a common study aid for debugging, essay support, and brainstorming, unclear academic guidelines have led to confusion about acceptable use. Some professors ban AI entirely, while others encourage it, leaving students without a shared framework for responsible integration. Kumar argues that rather than restricting AI, universities should teach AI literacy—helping students understand when and how to use these tools thoughtfully to enhance learning, not replace it.

Key Points

  • AI tools like ChatGPT are now embedded in student life and coursework.
  • Harvard’s response to AI use remains fragmented across departments.
  • Students face unclear ethical and authorship boundaries when using AI.
  • The author calls for structured AI literacy education rather than bans.
  • Thoughtful engagement with AI requires defined boundaries and shared guidance.

Keywords

URL

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/10/7/kumar-harvard-chatgpt-tutor/

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5


Leaving Cert changes won’t stand up to AI, says Colm O’Rourke


In a modern secondary school classroom, a male teacher stands at the front, holding papers and gesturing towards a large interactive screen. The screen displays "LEAVING CERT CHANGES" with a big red 'X' over a document and the question "AI PROOF?", indicating concerns about the new exam structure's vulnerability to AI. Students in school uniforms are seated at desks, attentively listening. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
Concerns are mounting that recent changes to the Leaving Certificate examination system may not be robust enough to withstand the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. This image depicts a teacher discussing the new exam structure in a classroom, highlighting anxieties that the updated assessment methods might be susceptible to AI-driven academic dishonesty, compromising the integrity of the crucial final exams. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

BreakingNews.ie

Summary

Former school principal and columnist Colm O’Rourke has criticised Ireland’s revised Leaving Certificate curriculum, warning that new assessment methods are ill-equipped to withstand the influence of generative AI. The updated curriculum, which allocates 40 % of marks to classroom-based work, was designed to promote continuous assessment but, according to O’Rourke, is now “too easy to cheat.” He argues that the reforms—developed years ago—have already been overtaken by technological change. O’Rourke calls for more in-person, practical, and oral-style assessments to ensure authenticity and to distinguish between genuine learning and AI-assisted shortcuts.

Key Points

  • The new Leaving Cert curriculum allocates 40 % of marks to class-based assessments.
  • O’Rourke warns these assessments are highly vulnerable to AI-assisted cheating.
  • He advocates for oral, practical, and supervised assessment formats instead.
  • The reforms were designed a decade ago and are now outdated by AI’s rapid rise.
  • He argues that genuine knowledge acquisition cannot be replicated by AI tools.

Keywords

URL

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/leaving-cert-changes-wont-stand-up-to-ai-says-colm-orourke-1816115.html

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5


AI in the classroom


In a modern classroom in Pakistan with arched windows, a female professor wearing a hijab stands at the front, gesturing towards a large interactive screen that displays "AI INTEGRATION LAB: UNIVERSITY OF LAHORE" and various AI-related diagrams and Urdu text. Students, both male and female, many wearing hijabs, are seated at desks, actively working on laptops that also show glowing holographic AI interfaces. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
This image showcases the growing integration of AI in Pakistani classrooms, specifically at the University of Lahore. It depicts a dynamic learning environment where students and educators are actively engaging with artificial intelligence, highlighting the nation’s efforts to adapt its educational system to the demands of a technology-driven future. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The News (Pakistan)

Summary

Dr Kashif Salik highlights how artificial intelligence could transform education in Pakistan, especially amid challenges from climate disasters, poor infrastructure, and entrenched inequalities. While AI offers opportunities for resilient and inclusive learning—through online platforms, personalised tutoring, and adaptive instruction—its benefits remain limited by inadequate connectivity, teacher training, and gendered access to technology. The article calls for integrating AI into broader education reform, emphasising digital literacy, climate awareness, and psychological well-being. Salik argues that responsible use of AI can bridge educational gaps and sustain learning during crises, but only if supported by policy, funding, and equitable access.

Key Points

  • AI can improve access to education during crises and support remote learning.
  • Pakistan’s poor infrastructure, low digital literacy, and gender divide hinder adoption.
  • Initiatives like Ataleek and global grants show potential for scalable e-learning.
  • AI could personalise instruction and strengthen resilience in the education system.
  • Reform must combine technology with inclusive, climate-aware education policies.

Keywords

URL

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1349148-ai-in-the-classroom

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5