Teachers union president calls for limits on AI and screen time in schools
Source: NBC News
May 27, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT / Updated May 27, 2026, 9:41 AM EDT
The head of one of the country’s largest teachers unions called for limits on technology in schools in a speech Wednesday, including blocking most students from using computers in class until they reach third grade, prohibiting student-facing AI in elementary schools and banning “social companion” chatbots until age 16.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, declared that students “are drowning in tech.” She proposed an independent research consortium to study the effects of AI and screens on student learning. “Students need their teachers — real human beings, not robots and not chatbots,” she said in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington.
Weingarten’s comments signal that she is a prominent new ally to a fast-growing grassroots movement of parents pushing to scale back screen time in public schools. The effort, which has bipartisan support, arises from concerns that completing classwork on school-issued laptops distracts students, leading to worse grades and social skills.
“I am not calling for an AI ban or a Chromebook bonfire,” she said. “What I am calling for is getting the balance right to harness the benefits of technology while mitigating the harms.”
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/randi-weingarten-teachers-union-limits-ai-screen-time-school-rcna346871
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