Global Push to Bring A.I. Chatbots Into Schools Prompts Calls for Caution

Governments and tech firms are rapidly rolling out generative A.I. chatbots and training programs in schools and universities around the world, prompting both enthusiasm and concern. Companies and governments cited in recent rollouts include Microsoft providing tools to more than 200,000 students and educators in the United Arab Emirates, an agreement to bring ChatGPT Edu to about 165,000 educators in Kazakhstan, and xAI announcing a plan to develop an A.I.

tutoring system for more than a million students in El Salvador. In the United States, some large school systems have introduced chatbots: Miami-Dade County Public Schools rolled out Google’s Gemini for more than 100,000 high school students, and Broward County Public Schools introduced Microsoft’s Copilot for thousands of teachers and staff.

Microsoft has also partnered with Thailand’s education ministry on free A.I. lessons and teacher training, and OpenAI has pledged to make ChatGPT available to teachers in government schools in India. Proponents say chatbots can save teachers time, customize learning and prepare students for an A.I.-driven economy.

But children’s and health groups, education researchers and some teachers warn of risks including diminished critical thinking, misinformation, cheating and de-skilling of students and educators. A study from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University found that popular A.I. chatbots may diminish critical thinking.

Key Topics

Tech, Microsoft, Openai, Xai, Chatgpt Edu, Gemini