The AI Learning Crisis: Our Kids Are Being Hurt
I’m scared to death by what I just read. I spent 15 years as a classroom educator, and the global nosedive in test scores is terrifying, not just because of what’s happening to our children now, but because of the speed at which it’s getting worse.
The real danger of AI isn’t the bubble it’s creating in the stock market; it’s the brain damage it’s doing to our children.
Brain science shows that learning requires struggle. Learning only through tech makes it easier, and reducing the struggle makes it less likely to stick.
Learning scores worldwide began to fall as remote learning became normalized. Effective learning methods such as handwriting note-taking strategies, sketchnoting, and flashcard development and practice took a back seat to tech that corrected grammar for you and laptops that made it easier to cheat.
Think of it this way. Tech is to learning what fast food is to our health. It’s easy and good in the moment, but over time, it breaks down our bodies.
Now enter AI.
If pre-AI tech was akin to fast food for our brains, AI is DoorDash.
As you can see, the rate at which worldwide test scores are plummeting is accelerating as AI becomes more available.
And the more frequently students engage with AI, the lower their test scores. You can see it illustrated below, thanks to the graphic created by Prof G Media:
Here's the brain science behind why learning assessment scores are plummeting.
According to this report Brookings issued earlier this year, students increasingly offload their thinking onto the technology, leading to the kind of cognitive decline or atrophy more commonly associated with aging brains. And it worsens over time as a doom loop of AI dependence settles in.
Here’s one example of how the learning process connects to assessing learning outcomes. Homework is being completed twice because kids cheat instead of practicing and learning—both of which are exercise for the brain.
Note: Illustration created by The Economist.
So test scores are dropping even faster because kids aren’t learning. As one student told the researchers in the Brookings report,
"It's easy. You don't need to (use) your brain."
What the U.S. Department of Education is Doing About It
You can’t make this up. Linda McMahon, the wife of a WWE owner (thus CEO) with no experience in education, is the Education Secretary in the Trump Administration. She was asked about the role AI should play in learning at an “education summit” funded by big tech.
Click here to listen to her response yourself: she confused Artificial Intelligence with AI Steak Sauce.
That’s what got the headline, because the ignorance was astonishing. But what was missed was that after she was corrected (days later), she went on to promote the importance of using AI to learn – in the 1st grade!
So under this administration, it is encouraged for teachers of 6-year-olds to use AI in their classrooms, as you can see here:
Solutions for an AI World
AI isn’t going away, and I don’t think it's all bad. On this topic, I see AI as a tool to introduce at a developmentally appropriate time and for appropriate tasks.
Talk to your kids
Our children need to understand AI's pitfalls. It’s a serious conversation if your kids are under the age of 18, and I would argue that using it inappropriately should come with the same consequences you would give your kids if you found out they were cheating.
Two of my children are earning their undergraduate degrees, and another is earning a postgraduate degree. I've already spoken with them.
Recognize the upside
In high school, kids need to understand how to use AI to solve problems, not get answers, and certainly not to escape the learning process.
They can also use AI for mundane tasks unrelated to learning, or as a tool to support the learning process—for instance, note-taking during a lecture. Following the lecture, students could make quizzes and a test from the transcribed lecture notes. Designing your own assessments and then practicing is a very effective learning strategy.
Be mindful of your child’s school AI policy. The best high schools will teach kids how to use AI appropriately and set guardrails to avoid pitfalls. And I would never want my kids to attend a school that allows for AI before high school.
Use evidence-based learning strategies
Below is an interactive with easy-to-understand learning strategies. You’ll notice that each strategy requires students to “do, struggle, retrieve, and solve.” Because if it’s easy, you’re not learning. Click on the image below to access the document.
I have a 57-minute course on learning strategies designed for grade 7-college students. If you subscribe to my newsletter and message me through Substack, I’ll send it to you for free.
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