SEATTLE — Parents and students gathered outside the Seattle Public Schools administration building to demand that district leadership pause the use of artificial intelligence in classrooms.
The rally took place ahead of a scheduled school board meeting.
Demonstrators argued that artificial intelligence tools are being pushed onto students without sufficient oversight. Parents raised specific concerns regarding whether children in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade even need AI technology as part of their daily education.
Under district policy, daily technology use for young students is limited.
“Students in kindergarten through second grade will have limited daily technology use, generally ranging from 0 to 30 minutes as part of a balanced instructional day,” according to a Seattle Public Schools policy statement posted online.
Erica Shutes-David, an SPS parent, emphasized the importance of independent effort for students.
“The point is doing the work yourself,” Shutes-David said.
Parent Ashley Worobeck echoed that sentiment, adding that “the danger that being told that AI is like a friend is that they may not understand [the impacts].”
Shutes-David also stressed the harm generative AI could cause to students.
“Kids have been coached by generative AI personalities to self-harm,” she said, and that “the point of education is the resistance and the tension pushing through things that are challenging.”
Emily Cherkin, another SPS parent, spoke about the contrast between traditional print materials and digital devices.
“You know what’s not in [a] book? Algorithms, pornography, violence, YouTube-- that’s what children have access to on their Chromebooks. A book does not have algorithms. This is what children need,” Cherkin said.
Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner addressed the demonstration held outside the administration building.
“I will give a big shout to the folks who had a rally outside. We really appreciate SFIT (Seattle Families for Intentional Tech) and all the work that they’ve been doing and really all the families that are thoughtful about what does tech look like that can be good for children,” Shuldiner said.
Starting in January, Seattle Public Schools will end its policy of issuing individual iPads to every student in kindergarten through second grade.
Under the updated plan, devices will remain in the classroom and be shared among students.
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