Schools are catching on to Big Tech’s playbook
A new book warns AI firms are repeating Big Tech's education playbook, as New York City and Los Angeles restrict classroom AI use.
NYT education reporter Natasha Singer's book 'Coding Kids' documents how Apple, Microsoft and Google embedded proprietary curricula and Chromebooks in US schools over 15 years, building product loyalty and market position. Google's Chromebook and Classroom dominance positioned it to promote generative AI in classrooms. New York City banned AI in elementary and middle schools and Los Angeles imposed broader restrictions including high schoolers, as parents and teachers push back against screens and AI in classrooms.
- Singer's book recounts Apple and Microsoft building AP Computer Science curricula around their own tools.
- Google's low-cost Chromebooks and Classroom app made it a dominant education platform by the generative AI era.
- Recent graduates report promised coding jobs are shrinking; some schools are dropping Chromebooks.
- NYC banned elementary and middle school AI use; LA added broader restrictions including high schoolers.
- Grassroots pushback among parents and teachers against classroom AI is stronger than in past tech cycles.
- Products
- ChromebooksGoogle Classroom
- Countries
- US
From the original article
5 min read at theverge.com
It's the hot new thing in tech, and it's where all the jobs are. Students who don't learn to use it fall behind. And to help them catch up in time, its creators are graciously providing the resources and curriculum for learning it, often pro bono.
By Lauren Feiner · theverge.com
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