"It found that using AI in education can "undermine children's foundational development" and that "the damages it has already caused are daunting," though "fixable." Because generative AI is still young ChatGPT was released just over three years ago the report's authors dubbed their review a "premortem" intended to study AI's potential in the classroom without a postmortem's benefits of time, long-term data or hindsight."
"Teachers surveyed for the report said AI can be useful when it comes to language acquisition, especially for students learning a second language. For example, AI can adjust the complexity of a passage depending on the reader's skill, and it offers privacy for students who struggle in large-group settings. Teachers reported that AI can also help improve students' writing, so long as it is used to support students' efforts and not to do the work for them: "Teachers report that AI can 'spark creativity' and help students overcome writer's block. At the drafting stage, it can help with organization, coherence, syntax, semantics, and grammar. At the revision stage, AI can support the editing and rewriting of ideas as well as help with punctuation, capitalization, and grammar.""
Focus groups and interviews with K-12 students, parents, educators, and tech experts in 50 countries, combined with a literature review of hundreds of research articles, indicate generative AI in education poses risks that currently outweigh benefits. The technology can undermine children's foundational development and has already caused significant, but potentially fixable, harms. AI can assist language acquisition and writing support by adjusting text complexity, providing privacy, and aiding drafting and revision. Experts emphasize that AI should supplement rather than replace human instruction and recommend guidance for teachers, parents, school leaders, and government officials.
Read at www.npr.org
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