Governing AI in Education: The Cost of Convenience and the Future of Independent Thought
- Alain Breton
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gradually becoming a normalized facet of modern education. Students now use it to explain concepts, generate ideas, organize essays, and at times to even complete written work. In many ways, this technology can truly be undeniably useful- it saves time, expands access to learning, and offers support when students are in need of guidance. At the same time, its rapidly growing role in education raises a more urgent and far reaching policy question: what happens when children begin depending on AI during the very stage in life in which they are supposed to be developing the capacity to think, reason, and learn for themselves?
This topic carries particular significance from my own generational position. Having graduated high school in 2019, I view myself as part of one of the last student generations to complete K-12 schooling before AI emerged and became normalized within everyday academic life. Technology was certainly present throughout my schooling, but not in the way it exists now. We did not have constant access to tools capable of instantly producing written responses, structuring ideas, or shaping the learning process in real time. I therefore developed my own writing style, and critical thinking skills without relying on artificial intelligence. That distinction feels vital, because it emphasizes the difference between using technology to support learning and introducing dependence on it before the habits of independent thought have been fully established.
AI as a Governance Issue
AI in education should not be solely treated only as a question of innovation. It should also be treated and viewed as a question of governance, especially when regarding children. While AI can certainly be useful, early dependence on it may interfere with the development of learning autonomy, problem solving, and independent reasoning if it is allowed to replace the mental work students are meant to do for themselves. The policy issue at hand is not whether AI belongs in education or not -because it already is present, no matter what- but how it should be limited and guided, specifically for young children, so that it supports learning without weakening the developmental purpose of schooling.
The Risk of Dependence
A main concern for many is that AI can easily move from being a tool to being a substitute. There is nothing wrong with students using support systems; in fact, it should be encouraged. What is important, however, is that children be given the skills necessary to use these tools efficiently. Education has always had outside aids, whether that means teachers, tutors, books, calculators, or online resources. The difference with AI is the level of assistance it offers. AI does not simply provide information; it can organize ideas, generate language, and imitate reasoning. This inevitably makes it easy for students to not take part in the uncomfortable but necessary aspects of learning. A great deal of education happens in the struggle itself. Whether it be rereading something difficult to understand, trying to put an idea into one’s own words, or getting something wrong, and then correcting it. Those moments are not obstacles to learning. They are part of the process by which real understanding develops, especially at an early age.
Why Children Are More Vulnerable
For older students or adults, AI serves more as a supplement due to the fact that many of the core habits of reasoning have already been built and put in place. For children, on the other hand, the situation is quite different. They are still forming the intellectual foundations which school is supposed to strengthen. If children become accustomed to relying upon AI to conduct mundane or basic tasks for them, they risk losing the practice necessary in thinking through problems independently. Over the course of time, this could affect not only academic performance, but also confidence, attention span, and the ability to deal with uncertainty. A student who constantly turns to AI may still complete assignments successfully, but it does not necessarily entail the student is developing the same internal skills.
The Purpose of Education
This issue should be viewed as one of policy and governance. Education is not only about producing effective results. It is about guiding students toward becoming capable and independent thinkers. As AI is integrated into classrooms without clear boundaries, schools risk beginning to reward speed and convenience over true depth and effort. This would be a serious shift in the purpose of education. It would also place far too much trust in technology to manage something deeply human, which is the development of judgment, discipline, and intellectual maturity.
There is also a wider dimension to this issue. Not every country or school system holds the same ability to regulate educational technology in a responsible manner. Some states have stronger institutions, more funding, and clearer policy frameworks. Others may be led to adopt AI tools faster without having the same precautions in place. This could create a situation where children’s educational development is shaped dependent on the availability of commercial tools rather than by thoughtful public policy. In that view, AI in education is not only a classroom issue. It is also part of a broader global challenge which involves governance, inequality, and the uneven ability of states to respond to technological change.
A Balanced Approach
The solution does not lie in rejecting AI entirely. That would be unrealistic, too simplistic, and overall, a disservice to the future. AI offers real benefits and if used properly can enhance the education of children. It has the ability to help students access information more easily, assist those who need extra support, and expose young people to technologies that will inevitably remain part of the future. The goal should not be to remove AI from education altogether, but to ensure that it is used in a way which prioritizes strengthening learning rather than replacing it. The use of AI should be treated as a support system, not as a shortcut around thinking.
Policy Considerations
For that very reason, the policies put in place should emphasize age-appropriate usage, strong teacher oversight, and the protection of independent learning. Younger students should be given more limits as they are still developing basic cognitive habits which shape the ways in which they think. Teachers should remain at the core in giving guidance on how AI should be used, especially when it comes to writing and reasoning. Schools should also teach students to question AI rather than simply trust it. Learning how to verify information, recognize limitations, and think beyond machine generated responses is becoming just as important as learning how to use the technology itself.
What Future Are We Building?
The complexity of AI in education lies in the fact that it is often presented as a narrow or technical issue. When in reality it actually reflects a much larger challenge that is highly relevant to international studies: the gap amongst technological innovation and institutional governance. The ways in which technology advances faster than institutions are able to govern it. AI is inherently being introduced into the areas of life that can have lasting impact and consequences on development and autonomy, while the ethical and political frameworks which are needed to regulate it remain underdeveloped. When viewed through this lens, AI in education becomes more than just a classroom issue; it becomes a useful example of how global systems respond to rapid innovation and the risks which emerge when policy fails to keep up with social as well as technological change.
Ultimately, the most important question is not simply whether AI is able to make education easier, but what may be lost when ease begins to replace effort in the learning process. As someone who completed K-12 schooling before AI became part of everyday student life, I feel that contrast very clearly. I understand what it means to develop academic discipline, as well as critical thinking and independent learning without constant recourse to an artificial system. I also believe deeply in the idea that children are the future, which is precisely why this issue demands serious attention. AI may certainly have a legitimate place in education, but if children begin depending on it before they have fully developed the ability to think, reason, and learn independently for themselves, then schools risk weakening some of the very capacities they are meant to cultivate. For that reason, the governance of AI in education is not merely a policy question about innovative technology. It is a question about the kind of minds education is meant to form, and what kind of future society is prepared to accept.
Alain Breton is a Cuban American graduate scholar and emerging professional whose academic and professional background reflects a strong foundation in political science, international affairs, strategic communication, and public-facing leadership. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Baruch College's Weissman School of Arts and Sciences NYC and is currently completing a Master of Arts in Political Science and Public Affairs, with a concentration in International Relations and Crisis Management, at Saint Louis University's Madrid Campus. He was awarded the Manresa Graduate Research Assistantship, recognizing his academic merit and research potential.
His experience spans finance, healthcare, luxury client relations, research, and nonprofit leadership, giving him a broad and adaptable professional perspective. Fluent in English and Spanish, Alain has developed a reputation for strong communication, analytical perspective, and the ability to engage effectively across diverse professional and cultural environments. His work is shaped by intellectual curiosity, refined judgment, and a commitment to producing thoughtful, well-researched, and impactful contributions across academic, professional, and public platforms.
The OCC publishes a wide range of opinions that are meant to help our readers think of International Relations. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and neither the OCC nor Saint Louis University can be held responsible for any use which may be made of the opinion of the author and/or the information contained therein.
To quote this article, please use the following reference:
Breton, Alain. “Governing AI in Education: The Cost of Convenience and the Future of Independent Thought.” Observatory On Contemporary Crises, June 2026, www.crisesobservatory.org/post/governing-ai-in-education-the-cost-of-convenience-and-the-future-of-independent-thought.