The American AI industry has a problem. To justify massive spending on AI infrastructure, companies like OpenAI and Google need to convert non-AI users into paying power users – and they’ve increasingly set their sights on children in classrooms.
As the _Wall Street Journal_ reported, students are well aware of AI creeping into their classrooms – but in many cases feel powerless to stop it. Richard Scott, an eighth-grader from Pennsylvania, shared, “It slowed my thinking down.” Despite earning B-range grades in earlier math classes, he failed his eighth-grade final after incorporating Google’s AI into his studies throughout the year.
Similarly, Miami art history teacher Kaitlyn Ruano noted a sharp decline in her students’ grades after the school district introduced Google’s Gemini chatbot. She recounted, “I had kids come to class after saying, ‘miss, I had no clue what half the material was, I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve been using AI all year.’” This reliance on AI tools, easily accessible through school-provided devices, has become a significant obstacle for students.
Fifteen-year-old Sophia Chatzigianni faced a similar decline. Her grades dropped dramatically as she started depending on Google’s AI chatbot for summarizing school material. However, after she decided to stop using AI altogether, her academic performance improved. This shift reveals a troubling trend where students become trapped in a cycle of dependency on technology.
Google’s strategy to engage users early in life isn’t new. The company has been embedding its products in schools since at least 2014, focusing on distributing Chromebooks and classroom software. Internal documents from 2018 even indicated that this approach was aimed at creating a “pipeline of future users.” The goal is clear: Google seeks to cultivate loyal customers long before they reach adulthood.
The reliance on AI tools like Google’s Gemini chatbot is not just affecting students’ grades; it’s creating a dependency that hampers their ability to learn independently. As students find themselves struggling to grasp material without AI assistance, the educational system faces a significant challenge in balancing technological integration with effective learning outcomes.
