Character AI pushes dangerous content to kids, parents and researchers say | 60 Minutes A teen told a Character AI chatbot 55 times that she was feeling suicidal. Her parents say the chatbot never provided resources for her to get help. They are one of at least six families suing the company.
We need more experiential learning, debating, PBL, and portfolio development (especially because degrees are no longer substantial signifiers of capability) and less (not zero) long-form writing….
Reduce the overload of writing and put real weight behind verbal communication. Students need far more time speaking, debating, presenting, and defending ideas both in and beyond class.
• Guarantee semester-long introductory courses in computer science and AI. If schools can’t staff them, run them online. Add robotics and cyber security so every student understands the systems shaping their future.
• Expand elective options and award academic credit for debate, Model UN, and other high-value academic clubs. These are the environments where students really learn to think and develop an understanding of what is going on in the world.
• Build strong entrepreneurship pathways and push students to use them. Make launching a small business a graduation requirement so every student gets experience creating value instead of just completing assignments.
• Partner with local businesses to develop hands-on experiential learning and certification programs. Students need credentials tied to real workplaces, not just classroom seat time.
In most contexts, users want ai to provide answers. In education, that is the student’s job. In the hands of a responsible student, such tools help. But a child with a tight deadline or an Xbox addiction may opt for the standard setting. “Efficient use of ai is going to win out over the use of ai that leads to better…learning,” predicts Julia Kaufman of rand. The risk of cheating at home may lead to more assessments at school—meaning less time for teaching.
The agreement — which draws on the expertise of Penn faculty members — aims to help the state develop clear guidelines for the use of AI in fields such as education, healthcare, and public administration.
In the announcement, Jameson said the University’s goal is to “inform AI policies that benefit and protect all Pennsylvanians,” adding that “generative AI is changing how we work, learn, and innovate.”
