Schools Ban AI over Fears of Stunted Learning

Los Angeles Unified School District has announced it will prohibit students from using generative artificial intelligence on school devices for the 2026-27 academic year. This decision aligns the district with New York City Public Schools, which has also moved to limit children's access to these tools. Both districts are making these changes during a period of rapid technological growth, where the long-term effects of AI on young minds remain largely unproven.

The restrictions come as researchers warn that AI could serve as a shortcut for children, bypassing the difficult mental processes required for learning. While adults may use AI to assist with tasks they already understand, students who have not yet mastered a skill risk failing to develop that skill entirely. This phenomenon has been described by experts as a form of cognitive hindrance that could impact future problem-solving abilities.

Brain scans show reduced engagement

Recent studies indicate that children and adults interact with AI in fundamentally different ways. A team from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology conducted an experiment where young children and adults designed a store using ChatGPT while undergoing brain scans. The results showed that the children’s brains exhibited less activity in areas associated with attention and information processing compared to the adults. This suggests that the tool may not challenge young minds in the same way it does for experienced users.

Further research involving high school students revealed that those allowed to use AI as a study aid performed well on practice questions. However, when the tool was removed for a final test, these students scored worse than their peers who had studied without artificial assistance. This pattern suggests that reliance on the technology can lead to a temporary boost in performance that does not translate into lasting knowledge or skill acquisition.

Experts warn of skill erosion

Rebecca Winthrop, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, coined the term cognitive stunting to describe this risk. She argues that when young people systematically use AI to complete thinking tasks, they are not offloading skills they already possess. Instead, they are shortcutting the process of developing those skills in the first place. This is distinct from the skill erosion seen in adults, who often use technology to assist with jobs they already know how to do.

Anne Maheux, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, supports the current moratorium on AI use in schools. She notes that these tools are still evolving and that designers are often responding to profit incentives rather than educational best practices. Maheux emphasizes that clear evidence of benefit is required before these tools are rolled out at scale for children and teens, given the potential for negative developmental outcomes.

Cautious approach to new technology

The decision by these large school districts reflects a broader caution regarding the deployment of untested technology in educational settings. As reported by GN technics/ai (en-US), the move highlights a growing concern among educators and psychologists that the benefits of AI may not outweigh the risks to young learners. The trade-off is clear: while AI offers convenience and speed, it may come at the cost of foundational cognitive development.

As the technology continues to evolve, schools are prioritizing the protection of students' learning processes. The ban on school devices is a specific measure, but it signals a wider shift in how institutions view the role of AI in education. For now, the prevailing view among researchers is that the evidence against unrestricted use in schools is strong enough to warrant restriction until more is known about its long-term effects.