New Brunswick Puts AI in Every K-12 Classroom — Critics Say Not So Fast

New Brunswick has started weaving artificial intelligence (AI) into its anglophone K-12 curriculum, answering growing calls to teach young Canadians how to use AI responsibly at school [245795]. The move puts the province among a growing number of places wrestling with how AI should show up in classrooms.

But not everyone is on board. Critics are demanding a pause, especially for the youngest learners, arguing that clear rules and more study should come before the technology reaches children [245795].

The debate in New Brunswick echoes a wider global argument over AI's role in schools and society. In Norway, one municipality banned Meta glasses in all its primary and lower secondary schools, covering both students and staff, saying the technology's camera, microphone, and AI raise unanswered questions about privacy, safety, and educational value [241038]. A municipal director for schools said clear rules must be in place before such tools are used around children and young people [241038].

Other places are moving in the opposite direction. Google said it will use AI to find users in Canada who may be under 18, then apply digital wellbeing controls and limit advertising for those accounts, adding that the system does not collect additional user data [240877].

The stakes go beyond the classroom. In Kenya, people are debating whether AI will help or hurt their jobs, reflecting a growing global question of how to capture AI's benefits while limiting its risks [243318]. In the United States, President Donald Trump is pushing forward on AI development, but some officials inside his administration are urging caution and worrying about moving too fast [245104]. And in Philadelphia, officials proposed building a data center in a neighborhood already harmed by a closed oil refinery, part of a wider national outcry against data center construction, because the facilities require huge amounts of electricity and water [242626].

Young Africans are also weighing in. The Hub Unconference returns for its 12th edition in Harare next week, bringing together young people to discuss how AI and digital technologies are shaping society [245367].

For now, New Brunswick's classrooms are the front line. The province says it wants students to learn to use AI responsibly. Critics say that for the youngest kids, the safer lesson may be to wait.