Bill Gates Says Heavy AI Use Could Cause Students To End Up Learning Less

Bill Gates published a 6,000-word essay on the AI transition, calling it “one of the most turbulent times in human history” and arguing the world has no real plan for it. He organizes the essay around three key risks (permanent job losses, AI-empowered bad actors, and damage to how kids develop and their education), at a moment when AI anxiety is already boiling over on campuses.

The line that should stop educators cold: Gates writes that the same tool that will allow people to learn more than ever “could also lead to many people learning less.”

He points to a preliminary survey that associated heavier AI use with weaker critical thinking, with the effect strongest among younger users.