The world is celebrating International Day of Education, and this year’s theme is all about AI and Education. It’s a good time to think about how we can use smart technology without losing the most important thing: our students’ ability to think, choose, and create for themselves.
AI is powerful and can help us learn better, but it also has a few big risks we need to watch out for.
The Main Risks of Using AI in Learning
Here are the biggest problems that can happen when we rely too much on AI:
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Becoming Too Dependent: When students always ask AI for answers, they might stop trying to figure things out on their own. This means they lose the chance to build strong critical thinking skills—the ability to look at a problem and solve it carefully.
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Unfair Treatment from Tech: AI is trained on data from the real world, and sometimes that data has biases (prejudices). If the software is biased, it could unfairly limit opportunities or give different feedback to certain groups of students.
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Making Education Cold: Focusing only on what’s efficient or automatic can make the classroom feel less human. We can’t forget that students have feelings and unique needs that a computer program might ignore.
🌱 How to Keep Our Kids Smart and Creative
We need to make sure technology helps, not hurts, our students’ minds. Here’s how schools and parents can protect what makes us human:
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Push for Smart Questions: Encourage students to talk about the good and bad sides of AI. Teach them to look at an AI’s answer and say: “Is this right? Why did the AI say this?” This makes them the boss of the technology.
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Focus on Creativity: AI can’t truly imagine or invent in the way a person can. We need to focus on art, writing stories, music, and solving problems that require unique human ideas. These are the skills that will matter most in the future.
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Emphasize Real Human Contact: Limit time staring at screens. Promote face-to-face talks, group projects, and activities that help kids build social skills, teamwork, and empathy. Human connections are vital for growth.
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Teach Smart Tech Use: Show children that AI is just a tool, like a hammer or a calculator—it doesn’t replace their brain. They need to learn how to use AI ethically and responsibly.
As we bring in new digital tools, school must stay a place that helps every student grow and succeed. We must keep the heart of human intelligence and creativity strong.