By Alexis Fitzpatrick

I recently overheard a parent discussing how AI makes evenings so peaceful by reducing the toil of her child’s evening math homework by providing solutions to difficult core math questions. Although AI can be useful, my heart sank because most educators will tell you that critical thinking is the key to learning.
 
As a mother and Chief Financial Officer at a credit union, I see the benefits and risks of using advanced AI systems such as large language models. AI can help streamline repetitive tasks and expand creative ideas. But on the other hand, even the creators of these AI systems understand there are risks in placing these platforms in the hands of children.
 
Last month, Open AI launched ChatGPT for teens with new safety features. These parental guardrails can help moderate what children are exposed to on chatbot platforms, but it doesn’t prevent AI from eroding the user’s foundational numeracy skills.
 
Our current education system relies on procedural math, a method that focuses on the “how” of problem-solving through defined steps to arrive at a solution. This method is great in theory, but in practice, we see some students taking shortcuts instead of understanding the root of a concept.
 
Since the pandemic, educators have observed a steady decline in student math scores and numeracy rates with little promise of improvement. In California, only 25 percent of eighth-grade students met math proficiency standards within the past school year.

Another study from EDSource shared that only 35.54% of Californian students met or exceeded their math standards on the state’s CAASPP test in 2024.

An increased dependency on AI for math only stands to increase that learning gap. A recent study from SpringerOpen shared that an over-reliance on AI could lead to many issues, including diminished critical thinking, analytical thinking, and decision-making abilities, a lower ability to spot AI-generated errors and an increase in academic plagiarism.

There is a real risk that an uptick in AI use could further erode our already declining math proficiency scores and permanently damage our children’s critical thinking ability.

The evidence may be sobering, but luckily there are districts like the Sacramento City Unified School District that recognize the risk. Students are not permitted to use AI tools in the classroom unless their teacher explicitly permits access. This approach will preserve the academic environment within the school day.

Students do not benefit from receiving instant solutions. Learning with AI will bypass the child’s ability to gain building blocks to carry into higher-level math. A study from Cornell University shows that large language model users experienced a 32% lower cognitive load compared to those who relied on traditional software to complete tasks.
 
AI companies are going to play a major role in the lives of future generations. However, just as food companies provide nutrition labels listing unhealthy ingredients such as sugar and cholesterol, AI tools should provide clear warnings about academic integrity and the cognitive risks of overindulgence.

There is a great opportunity for AI chatbot models to provide a “homework mode” in parental settings. Companies should offer parents the option of a meaningful learning format, where the digital instructor asks open-ended questions to guide students to explore an idea instead of only providing solutions.

Since the technology is so new, it’s difficult to predict just how harmful long-term large language model use can have on developing brains. It’s the duty of these tech companies to provide clear education on the potential risks before we see math scores continue to decline.
 
AI is not going away and is poised to become a significant factor in how we learn, communicate, and conduct business. It’s urgent that we take a conscientious approach in how we introduce children to these tools. If we want the next generation to thrive, we cannot allow convenience to supplant critical thinking.
 
Alexis Fitzpatrick is Chief Financial Officer at SAFE Credit Union. She can be reached at mediainquiry@safecu.org.