Seattle schools to block AI tools, limit screen time

SEATTLE (KPTV) — Seattle Public Schools plans to block student access to Gemini AI, Minecraft and other generative artificial intelligence tools starting Monday, while also restricting YouTube and reducing individual device use in elementary schools.

District officials announced the changes at a school board meeting Wednesday. Parents with Seattle Families for Intentional Tech, a technology watchdog group, said the changes are a start but called for stronger safeguards and more transparency about how technology is used in classrooms.

The district said it will block Minecraft, Gemini AI, other generative AI tools and Google Search AI summaries for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. YouTube will be blocked for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Superintendent Ben Shuldiner said Minecraft could still be used as part of a teacher-led class.

“Getting rid of YouTube K-5 I’m thrilled with, and certainly no Minecraft K-12 unless it’s actually part of a classroom with a teacher, then we feel really comfortable with this,” Shuldiner said.

Under the district’s new guidance, students in kindergarten through second grade will have no individual assigned devices and up to 30 minutes of screen time per day. Students in third through fifth grade will also no longer have individual assigned devices and will be limited to up to 60 minutes of daily screen time.

District officials said elementary students are more likely to share classroom computers. Assistant Superintendent of Academics Mike Starosky said devices should be used for education rather than as rewards.

“No device should be used for incentives or rewards,” Starosky said.

Shuldiner said the district is taking a more critical look at technology use.

“I’ll be the first one to admit, when I got here, what I saw was a district that was overwhelmed by technology and said, ‘Go to it,’ and now we are being thoughtful and critical,” he said.

Parents said they remain concerned about the potential effects of AI on children’s learning and safety.

“I send my kid to school to learn and for his brain to develop,” said Ashley Worobec, a district parent. “I’m also really concerned about the dangers of it from young kids feeling like they can converse with AI and then being led down dangerous paths.”

Danica Novle, another district parent, said students could encounter misinformation or dangerous information without adequate safeguards. She also raised concerns about student data collection and whether information gathered in classrooms could be used for commercial purposes.

Erica Shutes-David of Seattle Families for Intentional Tech said the group is concerned that AI could take away opportunities for children to create and think for themselves.

The group is asking the school board to pause student-facing generative AI until products are reviewed for safety, legality and educational effectiveness for minors. It also wants families notified if AI is used to assess student work.

Among its other requests, the group wants an advisory committee of caregivers and teachers to evaluate education technology using peer-reviewed research. It also wants the district to publish and update a list of classroom apps, platforms and devices by grade level, along with their privacy policies, and notify families before new tools are introduced.

The group is calling for annual informed caregiver consent before products collect students’ personal information and for paper-based alternatives when families or health professionals request them. It also wants teachers and schools to be able to opt out of district requirements for specific technology products, along with grade-level screen-time limits and protections for students’ eyes and posture.

The district said students and educators are receiving training on AI and the guidance surrounding its use. Shuldiner said he welcomes suggestions from parents and guardians about other games the district should consider blocking. He said the district is also reviewing AI and technology use in middle schools.