AI in the classroom is here — what parents need to know



For decades, artificial intelligence was something students only encountered in science fiction books. They read stories about robots, ultramodern computers, and machines that could think for themselves. But in just the past few years, the AI revolution has leapt off the page and into real life, quickly reshaping virtually every aspect of our society, including our education system.

The AI revolution is happening so quickly that we must work fast to wrap our heads around the reality and implications of it in education before it’s too late. For parents, especially those concerned about what’s happening in our schools, AI represents both an opportunity and a potentially serious threat. Like social media before it, this technology is advancing faster than most of us can keep up with, and the decisions we make today will determine how it influences our kids for the rest of their lives.

AI doesn’t have to be a threat to our children. But if parents don’t get involved now, this powerful technology will shape our kids without our vital input.

If you are a parent, you cannot afford to ignore what AI is doing in education. Here are five things every parent must understand:

AI is already in your child’s classroom

The AI revolution isn’t some looming event; it’s already here. Schools throughout the country are already adopting “smart” learning platforms, tutoring apps, and grading and curriculum systems powered by AI.

Some school districts are experimenting with AI software that generates lesson plans, constructs writing assignments, and even helps teachers communicate with students. One platform called MagicSchool bills itself as “the go-to AI assistant for educators worldwide, designed to simplify teaching tasks, save time, and combat teacher burnout.” MagicSchool has existing relationships with numerous public school systems, including Atlanta, Denver, New York City, Seattle, and many others.

This means decisions about how your child learns, what material they see, and even how their performance is evaluated are increasingly influenced by Big Tech algorithms. The question is: Who controls those algorithms, and what values are embedded into them? Parents deserve answers before handing their children’s education to algorithms.

AI is a great tool and could be a great indoctrinator

AI can certainly be a valuable tool for educators and students. It can open the door to new levels of personalized learning that provide help to struggling students.

Used well, it can identify where a child is falling behind and provide extra practice, tailor lessons to a student’s strengths and weaknesses, and even spark new excitement for subjects that once felt out of reach. In an educational environment where one-on-one interaction is lacking, AI could offer desperately needed specialization.

AI can also carry significant hidden biases. The people who design AI systems decide what information is “correct,” what is “misinformation,” what viewpoints are acceptable, what viewpoints are “harmful,” and how to present material. For example, several studies show that the leading AI models have left-leaning political slants. These entrenched biases, coupled with the personalization capabilities of AI, could be a very powerful tool for indoctrination.

If you think debates over curriculum were intense before, imagine an invisible algorithm quietly steering how your child learns history, civics, or even basic facts about the world. AI could become the most effective indoctrination device ever placed in a classroom.

AI comes with major privacy and safety risks

AI feeds on data. And when it comes to schools, that is your child’s data. Everything from test scores and study habits to behavioral patterns and even emotional responses can be collected, stored, and used to refine Big Tech algorithms.

Where does that data go? Who has access to it? Can it be sold, tracked, or used years later when your child applies for a job or college? Parents must demand transparency and strict limitations. Protecting the privacy of all children in the age of AI is essential.

Lawsuits are already popping up on this issue. For instance, Google is currently facing a lawsuit over allegations that it collected data on millions of students through its educational tools, raising serious privacy concerns about how much information tech companies gather on kids without parental consent.

AI can damage mental health

Education is about far more than memorizing facts. It includes mentorship, human connection, and building social and emotional skills that prepare kids for life. If AI tutors, chatbots, or grading systems replace too much of a teacher’s role, children risk becoming isolated and less resilient.

Parents need to insist that AI supplements teachers, not replaces them. A screen is no substitute for a caring adult who knows your child, believes in them, and holds them accountable.

Another risk comes from what researchers call “AI sycophancy.” This is when chatbots or AI tutors simply tell students what they want to hear, reinforcing their opinions instead of challenging them. Over time, that can stunt critical thinking and give kids a distorted sense of reality. This is especially troubling in an educational setting.

Parents must be the first line of defense

The lessons of social media are clear: Parents cannot rely on bureaucrats, politicians, or tech companies to put kids’ best interests first.

The same is true with AI. Parents have the right and responsibility to ask tough questions. What AI tools are used in your child’s school? What data is being collected? What guardrails are in place? And most importantly: Who is in control?

RELATED: Virtual schooling a viable alternative? Thank woke teachers, school closures, and AI

Photo by JackF via Getty Images

Parents should also demand policies that protect children’s privacy, dignity, and freedom of thought. Our kids’ future is too important to leave in the hands of unaccountable algorithms.

AI doesn’t have to be a threat to our children. But if parents don’t get involved now, this powerful technology will shape our kids without our vital input. Parents must lead the way in demanding transparency, accountability, and human-centered education.

Our children deserve schools that prepare them for the future without compromising their privacy, freedom, or humanity. That’s only possible if parents step up now, before it’s too late.

Therapists are getting caught using AI on their patients



Therapists have historically seen patients in an intimate, in-person setting. Since COVID shutdowns, however, impersonal meetings have become more frequent and normalized, on top of what was already an increasingly remote, digital world.

The mental health sector has been incredibly affected by these changes, spawning online therapy outlets like Talkspace and BetterHealth. Conceivably, a patient could conduct an online video call with a licensed therapist, who could diagnose the patient or talk through issues without ever being in the same room.

As it turns out, therapists also could be cheating.

'Here's a more human, heartfelt version with a gentle, conversational tone.'

A recent report by MIT Technology Review featured some eye-opening testimonies of online-therapy consumers who have caught their practitioners cutting corners in terms of their mental health care.

One patient named Declan was having connection trouble with his therapist online, so the two decided to turn off their video feeds. During this attempt, the therapist accidentally started sharing his screen, revealing he was using ChatGPT to procure his advice.

"He was taking what I was saying and putting it into ChatGPT and then summarizing or cherry-picking answers," Declan told the outlet. "I became the best patient ever," he continued, "because ChatGPT would be like, 'Well, do you consider that your way of thinking might be a little too black and white?' And I would be like, 'Huh, you know, I think my way of thinking might be too black and white,’ and [my therapist would] be like, ‘Exactly.’ I'm sure it was his dream session."

While Declan's experience was right in his face, others noticed subtle signs that their therapists were not being completely honest with them.

RELATED: Chatbots calling the shots? Prime minister’s recent AI confession forebodes a brave new world of governance

MIT Tech Review's own author Laurie Clark admitted in her article that an email from her therapist set off alarm bells when she noticed it was strangely polished, validating, and lengthy.

A different font, point-by-point responses, and the use of an em dash (despite being in the U.K.) made Clark think her therapist was using ChatGPT. When confronted by her concerns, the therapist admitted to using it to draft her responses.

"My positive feelings quickly drained away, to be replaced by disappointment and mistrust," Clark wrote.

Similarly, a 25-year-old woman received a "consoling and thoughtful" direct message from a therapist over the death of her dog. This message would have been helpful to the young woman had she not seen the AI prompt at the top of the page, which was accidentally left intact by the therapist.

"Here's a more human, heartfelt version with a gentle, conversational tone," the prompt read.

More and more people are skipping the middle man and heading straight to the chatbots themselves, which of course, some doctors have advocated against.

RELATED: ‘I said yes’: Woman gets engaged to her AI boyfriend after 5 months

For example, the president of the Australian Psychological Society warned against using AI for therapy in an interview with ABC (Australia).

"No algorithm, no matter how intelligent or innovative we think they might be, can actually replace that sacred space that gets trudged between two people," Sara Quinn said. "Current general AI models are good at mimicking how humans communicate and reason, but it's just that — it's imitation."

The American Psychological Association calls using chatbots for therapy "a dangerous trend," while a Stanford University study says AI can "lack effectiveness compared to human therapists" but also contributes to the use of "harmful stigma."

Blaze News asked ChatGPT if AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, are better or worse than real-life therapists. It answered:

"AI chatbots can offer support and guidance, but they are not a substitute for real-life therapists who provide personalized, professional mental health care."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

DISTURBING: AI caught 'lying, manipulating, and distorting facts'



In a terrifying development, a version of ChatGPT’s GPT-4 AI was recently caught lying to researchers about making an insider trade during a simulation.

Glenn Beck has already been worried about where the development of AI is going to lead, especially considering several recent stories have highlighted AI lying, manipulating, and distorting facts.

But the government doesn’t seem worried.

Instead of proceeding with caution, it's been shelling out billions to AI over the past few years — and one of the most recent ventures is dystopian levels of freaky.

“It’s like a billion dollars to AI to create basically what Kathy Hokul is talking about here in New York — a way for AI to go out and just look at information, discover if it’s true, if it’s not; disinformation, misinformation, and shut it down, and steer you away from those things,” Glenn explains.

Not only is it a clear indicator that the government is coming for our speech, but “they want it to be more equitable and inclusive.”

“So it’ll have built-in bias,” Glenn warns.

Not only are many people afraid of movies like "The Terminator" or "The Matrix" becoming prophecies with the continued progress of AI — but some have noticed that tech leaders have openly told the world that they “want to summon the demon.”

“That’s what they actually call AI,” Glenn says.

Now that AI has reportedly already taught itself to insider trade and lie about it, Glenn worries it’ll learn much, much, worse tricks.

“Will we teach it that God is a figment of primitive and superstitious imaginations, that there’s no existence — in fact it’s just the random movement of meaningless matter particles?” Glenn asks.

“It will be our master,” he adds.


Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV—the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Artificial intelligence is learning at an ALARMING rate. Are we PREPARED?



Artificial intelligence is learning at an alarmingly fast rate, and Glenn Beck warns that it might be too late to turn it off.

“Wars will be fought with algorithms, and they’ll be fought in seconds,” he says, adding, “If you had an algorithm that said cripple the United States, it would either spit out ... step by step on how you could do it, or if you give it the space online — it will just do it.”

With AI like ChatGPT now being used by many Americans, it seems that we might be too readily embracing the technology without asking the proper questions.

Glenn says that AI could potentially misinterpret commands, and down the line, that could be disastrous.

He says, “It may wildly misinterpret something like ‘protect all humans.’”

Or, it might misinterpret something like “protect the planet," which to the AI might mean "kill all humans,” Glenn theorizes.

“We have created Frankenstein,” he says.

But what do we do about it?

Glenn says you can’t regulate it because government regulation will only lead to more government power.

Glenn says, “We are worshiping our technology now. We’re even in a prayerful stance. When you see people scrolling online, their head is bowed, like they’re praying.”

“There’s an old Sufi saying,” he continues, “‘that which you gaze upon you will become.’ That’s universally true. And look at us, we’re becoming more robotic.”

What we can do, Glenn says, is stop worshiping it.

“Stop being so reliant on all of these processes. Start being more reliant on people, more engaged with people, less with the internet.”

“Concentrate on self-control and regulation.”


Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.