Trump wants kids learning AI in kindergarten — some say that’s too late

President Donald J. Trump recently signed an executive order to bring AI into K–12 education to boost literacy around the technology and create a new White House task force to lead the effort.

The task force plans to form public-private partnerships with AI experts to develop online resources for K-12 AI literacy and critical thinking and will seek industry commitments and federal funding to support the effort; the goal is to ensure resources are available for K-12 instruction within 180 days. As part of the plan, the US Secretary of Education must within 90 days issue guidance on using federal grants to support AI in education and find ways to use existing research programs to help states boost student success.

Some, however, say the executive order on AI in education doesn’t go far enough.

“AI education has to start even earlier than kindergarten!” Karen Panetta, a fellow with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), wrote via email when asked about Trump’s order. “Why? Because children need to be aware of the influences of things that are and are not real.” (IEEE is a global professional organization that advances technology through standards development and education.)

Children will encounter realistic but fake AI-generated content, so it should be an imperative teach them early to question what they see and ask trusted adults for help, according to Panetta.

Heather Barnhart, an education curriculum lead and fellow at the SANS Institute, agreed that AI training is critical, arguing that predators can leverage the technology to create images young children crave.

“That sentence is disturbing, but true,” Barnhart said. “Yes, AI has guardrails. However, it’s open source and can be taught how to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM). AI can also be used in the art of sex extortion. Here, children and teenagers are targeted in financial extortion with the creation of AI generated images of themselves. Out of fear, the kids resort to trying to pay the ransom or worse, harming themselves.”

Parents and teachers should talk to children about AI early and often, and those conversations should be age-appropriate and based on a child’s maturity, she said. Teaching kids to recognize suspicious behavior — both online and offline— is as important as teaching them about physical safety. Giving a child a device exposes them to potential dangers, often from strangers who appear to be peers or friends, Barnhart said.

“Bottom line, we can’t fear technology,” she said. “We cannot keep our children from technology. We need to learn how to communicate with them about online safety so that their world is not impacted when a threat comes their way. The more you talk to your kids and the more open you are to what they are doing and living — and what they are looking at online — the safer your family will be.”

Panetta said AI will increase phishing and online threats unless the US begins digital and AI education from the moment kids use devices. Just as word processors became standard in schools, AI tools will soon be essential in education and work.

Every school has students using tablets in the classroom and at home, Panetta pointed out, allowing students to use standard software programs such as word processors, animation software, drawing programs and instant access via the internet to relevant curated learning videos.

Panetta said using AI to help develop customized learning approaches is key. For example, “autistic children can greatly benefit from having AI that knows how to read their facial expressions to gauge their interest or emotions in response to educational materials. This helps develop AI that is more in tune with the needs of different abled children,” she said.

Trump’s executive order calls for educators, industry leaders, and employers to collaborate to create programs that equip students with essential AI skills across all learning paths. And it calls for a strong framework that integrates early exposure, teacher training, and workforce development to help foster innovation and critical thinking.

The order just “makes sense,” according to Emily DeJeu, an assistant professor of Business Management Communication at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.

Noting China’s recent announcement of a major AI-focused educational overhaul, “this move seems intended to keep American students competitive in a fast-changing global landscape,” DeJeu said. “There’s also historical precedent for it: the 1983 federal report A Nation at Risk called for integrating computer science into high school curricula, sparking decades of STEM-focused education reforms.

“Building AI literacy could benefit students much like past efforts to build digital literacy,” she said.

However, DeJeu added, educators must be cautious because research shows AI can hinder critical thinking, increase plagiarism, and lead to learning loss. Students may rely on AI to do challenging work, gaining polished results without true understanding — risking a generation that uses AI well but lacks deep knowledge and critical skills.

Panetta also advised a cautious approach in light of AI’s tendency to hallucinate and spew erroneous information and expose sensitive information.

“We need to guarantee that standards are in place for both security and privacy,” Panetta said. “The best educational product that unintentionally shares your child’s image or private information will ultimately do more harm than good. At IEEE, our AI and security experts around the globe are leading the efforts to create these safeguards and standards.”