Rebecca Winthrop

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...

human-to-human contact. And if you put the same sentences on a screen, they don't learn it. Our neurobiology is not going to change in, you know, five years. So we have to work with—that's the only confines I think we really have to work with, and everything else I think we can reimagine. But it's true that when kids get older— You do want to teach AI literacy.

human-to-human contact. And if you put the same sentences on a screen, they don't learn it. Our neurobiology is not going to change in, you know, five years. So we have to work with—that's the only confines I think we really have to work with, and everything else I think we can reimagine. But it's true that when kids get older— You do want to teach AI literacy.

When kids understand this is true for social media too, when kids sort of learn about, oh, these big companies are trying to addict me. They're doing it for free, but I get with my attention and staying on it longer is how they make money. You tell that to teenagers. Actually, there's been great research on this and they get pissed off. I think we need to do the same with AI literacy.

When kids understand this is true for social media too, when kids sort of learn about, oh, these big companies are trying to addict me. They're doing it for free, but I get with my attention and staying on it longer is how they make money. You tell that to teenagers. Actually, there's been great research on this and they get pissed off. I think we need to do the same with AI literacy.

Like this is how it works. It's not some magical thing. It's not another human being. So when kids get older, we need to teach them about that. And then they need, when they get older, they need to start playing with it, playing with it, using it. But my huge caveat is with AI that is designed for kids. Right now, there is a spring fling race by the large AI labs to get students to sign up.