Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), on Wednesday urged schools to limit the use of digital devices and artificial intelligence (AI) tools among young students, particularly those in prekindergarten through second grade. Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Weingarten characterized children as “drowning in tech” and called for a shift away from screen-based learning toward more active, hands-on teaching methods that emphasize human interaction.
Weingarten specifically recommended that elementary schools refrain from using AI platforms such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Khan Academy’s Khanmigo with young learners. She also proposed the establishment of national privacy and safety standards governing AI tools in educational settings. The union leader warned that overreliance on technology in early education could impede critical thinking and social development.
“If we don’t find a way to call this out from an education perspective, I fear that we will lose a generation of kids,” Weingarten said in a subsequent interview. She cited a talk by author Jonathan Haidt, who has highlighted concerns about the addictive qualities of screens and their impact on children’s anxiety and social skills.
The AFT’s current campaign reflects growing resistance among parents, educators, and advocacy groups against extensive technology use in schools. Similar moves have been observed recently in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second-largest, which announced last month it would phase out tablets for its youngest students and implement screen-time restrictions for all grade levels. Additionally, a coalition of parents and health organizations has called for a five-year moratorium on the use of generative AI products like ChatGPT and Gemini in classrooms.
During her address, Weingarten outlined what she termed a “devices down, eyes up, hands-on strategy” aimed at refocusing education on human skills and student well-being. She stressed the growing importance of problem-solving, critical thinking, and ethical reasoning in an era where AI can provide quick answers, potentially diminishing students’ learning experiences.
Weingarten also criticized previous federal policies under the Trump administration for fostering close ties with the tech industry that, she said, resulted in lax regulations regarding technology’s harmful effects on young people. She called for the creation of an independent research consortium to study how AI and screen exposure affect students.
The union chief’s cautionary stance comes nearly a year after the AFT launched a National Academy for AI Instruction, supported by $23 million in funding from Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic. While the academy aims to train teachers and influence AI tool development for schools, some union members have expressed concern that industry partnerships may limit educators’ control over AI usage.
Weingarten stated that the union is currently negotiating AI safety and privacy standards with its partners in the academy. She noted that Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic have agreed in principle to these guidelines. “We’re being transparent,” she said, emphasizing a preference for federal and state regulation of AI safety rather than leaving oversight solely to unions. She added that the AFT would be prepared to forgo funding if adequate protections are not established.