The conversation about AI in schools is almost always about cheating. That’s not the biggest problem.
This one didn’t start with a chatbot. It started on a three-hour car ride to Grandma’s house — back when children sat in the backseat with nothing to do but listen to the adults talk about life. Then we handed them headphones.
Two generations later, we’re seeing where that road went.
Teachers are trying to figure out what’s real. Parents are trying to figure out what’s allowed. And the kids — like every kid who ever lived — are trying to figure out what they can get away with. But underneath all of it is a quieter problem: a student can now turn in a grammatically perfect essay without ever having learned how to write one. The parent sees the grade and relaxes. The teacher senses something is off and can’t prove it. And the student learns a far more dangerous lesson than how to cheat.
AI is a tool, and a tool can’t be an enemy. Our children will live in a world shaped by it, and they should learn to use it. But they must never confuse using a powerful tool with becoming a capable person.
So think with me here. What enables a child’s reliance on AI? Time alone with a screen. What counteracts time alone with a screen? Conversations.
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