The lesson of social media is not that transformative technologies should be feared.It is that when children are involved, safeguards must come before harm – not after.For years, social media platforms expanded with few meaningful protections for child safety, transparency, age-appropriate design, parental visibility or independent oversight.
Only after mounting evidence of harm did policymakers begin responding in earnest.By then, millions of children had already been shaped by systems designed to maximize engagement.Artificial intelligence (AI) gives us a rare chance to do better.UK TO BAN TIKTOK, YOUTUBE, OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA APPS FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16, STARMER SAYSAI has extraordinary potential in education.
It can personalize support, extend teacher capacity, widen access and help students learn in new ways.But it can also shape how children think, write, reason and engage with the world.
That is why this moment matters.Unlike social media, AI arrives with the benefit of hindsight.
We already know what happens when powerful technologies become deeply embedded in the lives of children before society establishes clear rules for safety, accountability and transparency.Higher education institutions are grappling with how to approach AI, as some instructors say the focus must be on teaching responsible use, rather than catching cheaters.(Hispanolistic via Getty Images)We should not make the same mistake twice.REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: LAWMAKERS WRESTLE OVER WHETHER AI CAN MAKE THE GRADE IN AMERICA'S CLASSROOMSA responsible framework for AI in education should begin with a simple principle: artificial intelligence must enhance human learning, not replace humans or their judgment.Teachers must remain in charge of instruction, grading and curriculum.
Parents must remain the primary decision-makers in their children’s education, with meaningful visibility into how AI interacts with their child, what information it collects, and how recommendations are generated.And s...