To the Editor:
The subject of the excellent article, “Rising Use of AI in Schools Comes With Big Downsides for Students” (Oct. 8, 2025), is very close to my heart. As a father of a high school student, I find the current direction of AI usage increasingly worrisome.
A report on AI in high school education identifies “potential impacts on long-term cognitive development” to be a “major concern.” In another 2025 study on how AI impacts students’ academic development, researchers flag both “over-dependence” on AI and “potential erosion of critical thinking skills” as challenges.
High school education is a critical stage in a student’s academic life as youth prepare for college. The learning process and experience allow students to develop their critical-thinking, problem-solving, research, and communications skills. Assignments, projects, and exams all demand students’ personal diligence, commitment, and resourcefulness. Students’ reliance on AI to solve problems and prepare projects will only be a disservice to their own intelligence and, without proper policy measures and practice guidelines, will deprive students of the immeasurable benefits they get from mental exercise and research.
How would AI-dependent students handle the challenges of higher education and their future careers? What are the impacts of current AI trends on academic integrity and ethical standards at the high school level? These are some of the issues that, in my opinion, should worry today’s educators and parents.
Tewodros Abebe
Parent
Washington, D.C.
