Rebecca Winthrop

So their idea was, let's use Gen AI. It'll be great because parents also do need to reinforce well-being messages that teachers are giving in school, which is true. And what we'll do is we'll create an app. And so this is what they had suggested, Ezra. Imagine you sitting down around the dinner table.

So their idea was, let's use Gen AI. It'll be great because parents also do need to reinforce well-being messages that teachers are giving in school, which is true. And what we'll do is we'll create an app. And so this is what they had suggested, Ezra. Imagine you sitting down around the dinner table.

You pull up your phone and you have an app and your kids have their phone and you say, okay, how are you feeling today? And you're looking at your phone and they're telling you how they feel. And then you click through and ask, you know, why are you feeling that way? Like mediated through a phone. It's crazy. It's crazy. Like we've lost our mind. like that we need AI to talk to our kids.

You pull up your phone and you have an app and your kids have their phone and you say, okay, how are you feeling today? And you're looking at your phone and they're telling you how they feel. And then you click through and ask, you know, why are you feeling that way? Like mediated through a phone. It's crazy. It's crazy. Like we've lost our mind. like that we need AI to talk to our kids.

So if there's not a real problem you're trying to solve, don't use it is number one. Number two, any, I really do believe this, any company that wants to work with kids in schools should be a benefit corporation. Because legally, you have a lot of companies who are creating perhaps really good stuff, if used well, that they have to maximize profits.

So if there's not a real problem you're trying to solve, don't use it is number one. Number two, any, I really do believe this, any company that wants to work with kids in schools should be a benefit corporation. Because legally, you have a lot of companies who are creating perhaps really good stuff, if used well, that they have to maximize profits.

They can't maximize social benefit and well-being.

They can't maximize social benefit and well-being.

This is a really tricky question, and you point on something that is a real issue, which is around the deep equity issues that have already emerged. So think about the schools that ban AI for a kid who has no access to AI at home. versus a kid who goes home and has full access to all the AI tools. That right there is a huge cleavage in our country.

This is a really tricky question, and you point on something that is a real issue, which is around the deep equity issues that have already emerged. So think about the schools that ban AI for a kid who has no access to AI at home. versus a kid who goes home and has full access to all the AI tools. That right there is a huge cleavage in our country.

It also, there's a huge equity gap in terms of language. Large language models work off of language that is written down. There's a lot of languages that aren't written down that much. They have very little written down. And so there you're seeing a global gap across the globe between sort of African and indigenous languages and communities versus English speaking or other large languages.

It also, there's a huge equity gap in terms of language. Large language models work off of language that is written down. There's a lot of languages that aren't written down that much. They have very little written down. And so there you're seeing a global gap across the globe between sort of African and indigenous languages and communities versus English speaking or other large languages.

So equity is a huge one. Your question about sort of public versus private, I would say to public education systems, do not have FOMO. Because that is what the gut instinct is when a new technology comes. I'm missing out. I have a fear of missing out. And I need to adopt it. And I see this. So don't have FOMO. Don't use it unless it's a real problem you want to solve.

So equity is a huge one. Your question about sort of public versus private, I would say to public education systems, do not have FOMO. Because that is what the gut instinct is when a new technology comes. I'm missing out. I have a fear of missing out. And I need to adopt it. And I see this. So don't have FOMO. Don't use it unless it's a real problem you want to solve.

Do give it to the adults in the school building. Give it to teachers. Have them use it and figure out how it will help them today. Then give it to sort of really, you know, novel school leaders to think about how they could maybe restructure the teaching and learning experiences. What are the things that AI can do? There's so much that AI could actually do to help make public schools work better.

Do give it to the adults in the school building. Give it to teachers. Have them use it and figure out how it will help them today. Then give it to sort of really, you know, novel school leaders to think about how they could maybe restructure the teaching and learning experiences. What are the things that AI can do? There's so much that AI could actually do to help make public schools work better.

Bus schedules, calendaring, school meals, cafeteria. I mean, assessment input. There's so much time that could be really freed up.

Bus schedules, calendaring, school meals, cafeteria. I mean, assessment input. There's so much time that could be really freed up.

I think it is 50% right. And I think the 50% depends on the age of the child. I absolutely 100% think you should send your kids to the Waldorf School with the wood blocks when they're young. You know, we know that early childhood, the more screen time they have, the less language acquisition they have. We know that when infants are learning language, they learn a lot of language from...

I think it is 50% right. And I think the 50% depends on the age of the child. I absolutely 100% think you should send your kids to the Waldorf School with the wood blocks when they're young. You know, we know that early childhood, the more screen time they have, the less language acquisition they have. We know that when infants are learning language, they learn a lot of language from...