Big Tech Is Using Old Tactics to Push AI into Schools

Companies working in the artificial intelligence sector are actively convincing educational institutions that AI is the future, arguing that students will be unable to compete in the job market without it. To prevent this perceived lag, tech giants are frequently offering schools their own resources and curricula completely free of charge. As reported by The Verge, this approach is far from new. Natasha Singer, a journalist covering educational technology for The New York Times, assesses that the industry is employing the exact same strategy it used to cement its influence in classrooms over the last 15 years. ## A Familiar Scenario in Classrooms In her new book, Coding Kids, Singer details how technology companies took a central role in the education system while promoting computers and programming skills. During that period, the core promise was that knowledge of computer science would ensure future career success. Consequently, companies provided schools with their own equipment and lesson plans, thereby building a long-term user base and a loyal audience for their platforms. Now, amidst the artificial intelligence boom, the exact same narrative is repeating: schools are being warned that students will fall behind modern trends, and the solution is presented as the adoption of tools created by the tech companies themselves. Education experts are urging schools to take a more critical look at these initiatives from giant corporations and to analyse whether these free resources truly serve the development of children or are simply another attempt to expand corporate influence.