Talk Out of School

The risks of using AI in the classroom

Episode Summary

Leonie interviews Rebecca Winthrop, the Senior Fellow and the Director at the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, about her new report that concludes that the dangers of using AI in the classroom currently outweight its benefits because of the risks to student learning, privacy, safety and social emotional health.

Episode Notes

Brookings Institution, A New Direction for Students in an AI World; https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/A-New-Direction-for-Students-in-an-AI-World-FULL-REPORT.pdf;

A one-page summary of the Brookings report; https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/A-New-Direction-for-Students-in-an-AI-World-ONE-PAGER.pdf

NPR, The risks of AI in schools outweigh the benefits, report says; https://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1-5674741/ai-schools-education

Brookings fact sheets on AI for parents; https://www.brookings.edu/articles/tips-for-parents-raising-resilient-learners-in-an-ai-world/ fact sheets for parents