AI in the classroom: How AI will impact education going forward
A recent Fox News poll highlights changing views as 52% of voters now view Big Tech as the biggest threat to the future of the US compared to 47% for Big Government. The Senate panel also discusses the rise of artificial intelligence in classrooms, debating its impact on student learning, privacy concerns, and potential consequences for the American workforce. Lawmakers are working on a framework to regulate AI.
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Reading. Writing. And AI algorithms.
The Senate is now grappling with how students – and teachers – can use Artificial Intelligence in the classroom.
It cannot be avoided.
“The question is not whether AI will impact education. The real question is whether we will shape its use thoughtfully. Accountably,” Delaware Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said during a recent Senate hearing.
Lawmakers aren't just focusing on what AI is teaching students. But how.
“What do we know when it comes to the long-term impact of using this technology?” asked Seni. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., at the hearing.
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Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks to reporters as he returns to his office at the US Capitol on Feb. 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“We don't have causal studies of the long-term impact on social or cognitive development,” replied Erin Mote, who, as CEO of InnovateEDU and the EDSAFE AI Alliance, works on technological innovation in the classroom.
Pushing students to screens, iPads and Chromebooks in the classroom was all the rage about 12 years ago. But since that technological rush, the percentage of high school seniors who are on average in math and reading has dropped four points since 2009, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP), sometimes known as the nation's report card.
“Students did not learn the content better and their social and emotional health has suffered a lot. We need to make sure that as we move forward in teaching about AI that we cannot over-rely on technology and that critical thinking skills remain important” said David Slykhuis of Valdosta State University in a House hearing earlier this year.
That's why lawmakers are skeptical that AI can improve classroom performance.
“Kids express critical thinking. Have outside friendships. Give outside behavior advice to AI,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
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Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., speaks to reporters after a vote at the U.S. Capitol on July 23, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
There are also privacy concerns. AI can leverage what each student learns and knows.
AI can reap what lessons they have learned. The students quickly picked up different concepts. AI or data brokers can track that for decades as students go to college or enter the workforce.
“These tools get more information about our students that we might not be aware of,” warns Marten.
Teachers are now relying on AI to improve lesson plans and grade papers. Young teachers can use AI to add simple multiplication and spelling tables. But it can spell trouble if teachers or professors use an AI rubric to grade independent assignments like creative writing or a term paper.
“For those starting to use AI, there's a tendency to trust everything it spits out that can cause big problems,” Joshua Jones said in a Senate hearing. He is the CEO of QuantHub, an AI literacy education company.
Some lawmakers are skeptical that AI can do everything. And some aspects of education are difficult to copy.
“The basic relationship between a child and a teacher is not something that AI is going to rebuild. It's not something that I'm going to replace,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
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Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaks to reporters outside a caucus meeting of Senate Democrats at the US Capitol on Nov. 6, 2025. (Bill Clark/Getty Images)
Teachers want to know how AI can change their roles. And if the idea of ”teacher” or “professor,” tomorrow is the same as what we think today.
“The idea of pulling that is probably really scary for teachers who think this is what teaching looks like. But we know it's not an effective way to teach or learn. And so it will require real ecosystem changes,” said teacher Emily Cherkin, who wrote about AI.
Graduating college seniors showered several tech CEOs with a chorus of boos at commencement exercises across the country this spring. The reason? These students may receive a diploma. But they wonder if that's enough for meaningful work in the age of AI.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently met with a number of bipartisan lawmakers at the Capitol about their hopes and fears about AI.
“I understand that college students are very concerned about the future,” Altman said. “I think there will be more jobs in the future. I think the impact on jobs has been less than many people in our sector expected. And it doesn't mean it will stay that way in the future.”
In addition, students may question the value of education if they cannot find a job because of artificial intelligence.
“(High school seniors) were saying they can't get jobs. They're saying 30 to 40 percent of them are unemployed and they're blaming AI for this,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “We have to make some choices about AI to make sure it's good for the American workforce. And I think a lot of college students don't think it is.”
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FILE – Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) arrives for a closed-door meeting with senators at the US Capitol on January 7, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Hawley believes Congress should take action on AI. But not in the ways you might think.
“We should pass a law right now that will require these technology companies to hand over information on how many jobs they are doing or how many they are destroying,” said Hawley.
Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., is one of the leading voices in Congress on AI. He recently helped draft a bipartisan bill to regulate AI. Obernolte says he hears what college students are saying.
“It's an indication that we've collectively done a very poor job of communicating to the American public about the prospect of AI deployment,” Obernolte said. “AI is probably going to be the most powerful tool for improving human productivity that we've ever invented. And that's not only going to have positive economic effects for our country and our world, but it's going to create this rising wave of prosperity that literally lifts all boats.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wants to pass the AI bill by the end of the year. But the Congressional calendar is mostly closed. House skipped town earlier this week. Even next week's program could be in jeopardy because of the controversy over the SAVE America Act. That's the GOP bill that requires proof of citizenship to vote.
But it's unclear how the bill would address the details of AI in the classroom.
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That means AI can continue to run rampant in elementary, secondary and college education.
And unless lawmakers move quickly, AI can teach us all.
