In this episode of EdTechnical, Libby and Owen speak with Rebecca Winthrop, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where she directs the Center for Universal Education. Rebecca and her team recently ran a ‘pre-mortem’ on generative AI in education: rather than waiting years for the evidence to settle, they conducted a yearlong study on the risks it poses to students, and what we can do now to prevent them while making the most of the benefits.

Drawing on focus groups, a thorough review of studies, and a forecasting panel, the report paints a striking picture: as things stand, the risks of generative AI for children's learning and development outweigh the benefits. Rebecca explains the risks are foundational, undermining the trust, independent thinking, and resilience that children need in order to benefit from AI. A key distinction runs through the conversation: risks tend to come from wide AI use, where children have open-ended, unscaffolded conversations with tools not designed for them, while benefits come from narrow, intentional use integrated into teaching with vetted content.

Bio

Rebecca Winthrop is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and director of its Center for Universal Education, where she leads the Brookings Global Task Force on AI in Education. She advises governments, policymakers and international institutions on education and previously led education work for displaced and conflict-affected communities. She is a co-author of the report A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect.

Links

Research Report by the Brookings Institution’s Center for Universal Education:
A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect

Brookings Institution Center for Universal Education: https://www.brookings.edu/topics/education-2/

Join us on social media:

BOLD (@BOLD_insights), Libby Hills (@Libbylhhills) and Owen Henkel (@owen_henkel)
Listen to all episodes of EdTechnical here: https://bold.expert/ed-technical
Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter
Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert

Credits: Sarah Myles for production support; Josie Hills for graphic design; Anabel Altenburg for content production.