What happens when 3rd graders write their own policies for AI in schools

A group of Harlem third graders is not waiting for the grown-ups to finish writing policies that govern the use of artificial intelligence in New York City public schools. 

This week, 8- and 9-year-olds at DREAM Charter School in East Harlem began drafting their own guidelines and guardrails to make sure machine learning is used to boost human learning – instead of blocking it. In the lesson, some of the kids quickly zeroed in on the risk that AI could induce a phenomenon known as “cognitive offloading,” essentially allowing machine reasoning to do school work in place of student reasoning.

“AI can turn our brains into mush,” said third grader David Ortiz, “It would be no point of school if AI is going to tell you everything.”

Other students raised concerns that AI tools often misstate facts, urging their fellow classmates to always check their work if using AI.

“Use your brain first,” wrote one group of students on a big blue poster. 

Karter Nieves, another third grader, was worried about using AI to cheat.

“A lot of people use AI to cheat on their essays or tests,” Nieves said. “Sometimes people use it, and they copy and paste.”

Administrators at DREAM say AI literacy lessons, like the one this week, are critical so that even the youngest kids can discern what technology uses are positive and which ones may be negative. According to a DREAM flyer, 78% of educational staff at the charter school group are already incorporating AI tools into their planning and preparation. And DREAM aims to have 60 percent of students use AI as a learning tool in the near future. 

But the charter school group stresses any use of AI is intended to facilitate, not replace, student reasoning.

“We’re still using our own brain power. We still have our kids check their work. We still have our kids do their own critical thinking,” said third grade teacher Kale Blackshear. “AI is about to be a big part of their future, so why not go ahead and get ahead of it, as we are, and guide them in the right way.”

Perhaps no group is adopting AI technology faster than young people. But what impact can it have on their mental health and on their developing minds? Some psychiatrists expressed grave concerns. NBC New York’s Chris Glorioso reports.

Last month, New York City’s Education Department released preliminary guidelines for the use of AI in K-12 public schools. The early rules use a “stop light” framework, green lights for approved uses of AI, and red lights for use cases that are completely off limits. Yellow lights are for uses of AI that could be allowed but require the most careful judgment from educators.

For example, the DOE has greenlit the use of AI to help build teacher lesson plans. But it has put a red light on using AI to make decisions about student discipline or grades. Yellow light cases include students using AI to do research or to help with creative projects. 

After collecting feedback from parents, students and educators this spring, the NYC schools chancellor intends to draft and release finalized rules on the use of AI sometime in the future.

In the meantime, some parents are pushing back on the idea that AI belongs in public school classrooms at all.

James Baker, a New York City parent who helped organize a group called Parents for AI Caution, says there should be no approved use of AI in classrooms. He argues AI is being hyped by education tech companies before it is proven to boost learning outcomes.

“It’s about profit, it’s about influence. It’s about attention,” Baker said. “We believe the role of artificial intelligence in public education needs to be deeply considered, evaluated, and for the time being stopped, until we really we have evidence that there is no harm done.”

Everyday, tens of millions of people have conversations with AI chatbots — talking about shopping, travel, love and everything in between. As some tech pioneers say chatbots can help make us happier, there is concern over how interacting with machines impacts mental health. NBC New York’s Chris Glorioso reports. Warning: Story discusses topic of self-harm.

The third-grade lesson on AI literacy at DREAM Charter School was designed by Lego Education, a company that sells education tech products to schools. In a January Newsweek op-ed, Andrew Sliwinsky, the company’s Head of Product Experience, argued it would be a mistake to postpone the use of AI tools in classrooms while waiting for studies and research results.

“We cannot wait for adult expertise to catch up to the speed of innovation,” he wrote. “Children most often don’t need you to be an expert; they need you to support their exploration.”

Eve Colavito, the co-CEO of DREAM also acknowledged the call for more research, but said students need guidance on the ethical use of AI now.

“It is fair to call for more research and we are also interested in participating in studies, but the reality is, students are already using the technology outside the classroom,” Colavito wrote in a statement to NBC new York. “Waiting for research risks leaving students to figure this out on their own, without guidance, while creating a greater equity gap between those who have access and those who don’t.”

There is one way that AI is weighing on nearly everyone’s mind, whether or not they use chatbots. Hundreds of mental health counselors across the country say more clients have a sense of dread about AI and the economy. NBC New York’s Chris Glorioso reports.

Still, some education researchers are skeptical.

Wayne Holmes, a professor of AI and education at University College London said he sees no research establishing a causal relationship between AI use and learning. And he believes the risks of AI outweigh the benefits at this early stage.

“Today we have no independent evidence at scale for the effectiveness of any of these tools,” he said. “We have no evidence for the safety, the effectiveness, or even if they have a positive impact.”

Some of the Harlem third graders tended to agree.

“If you’re using AI for your work, you’re not really using your brain and it’s not really helping you grow your brain,” said third grader Noel Jackson. “I suggest you don’t use it.”