‘A slippery slope’: Experts weigh in on educational AI following federal guidance letter

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, educators are wrestling with how best to use the technology in classrooms -- the White House is responding.

In July, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon issued a letter outlining federal guidelines for how schools receiving federal grant funding should approach the use of AI.

“There is a serious effort to move along quickly and maybe not as thoughtfully as we need to be," said Jon Becker, a professor of educational leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) who studies the evolving impact of AI on education.

Becker said AI has the potential to support both teachers and students, but warns that it also comes with risks.

“There’s kind of a slippery slope to the elimination of teachers entirely,” he said.

The guidance letter highlights ethical concerns and calls on both K-12 schools and universities that receive funding to integrate AI responsibly.

“It lays out some of the ethical concerns,” Becker said. “Universities, K-12 schools are really trying to figure out how to integrate AI in ways that are ethically responsible.”

The letter encourages AI-enhanced tutoring, AI-based career exploration tools and training for both educators and families on the use of AI.

Becker said that while most K-12 schools may not be impacted, institutions like VCU could experience changes in how they approach teaching and learning.

“We have to be learners alongside our students,” Becker said. “One of the things we’re doing here in the School of Education is next year, we’ll be having kind of a year of AI where faculty can have a learning community.”

The federal guidance explains that AI should be used to support not replace educators. It also stressed the importance of helping parents understand how AI tools function.

“We are building the plane as we fly it,” Becker said. “There’s new developments all the time.”