WASHINGTON — Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, called for restricting student use of computers and artificial intelligence in elementary schools during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington. She proposed blocking most students from using computers in class until third grade, prohibiting student-facing AI in elementary schools, and banning “social companion” chatbots until age 16.

Weingarten declared that students “are drowning in tech.” She emphasized the need for human instruction, stating, “Students need their teachers — real human beings, not robots and not chatbots.” She clarified that her stance was not a call for eliminating technology altogether, saying, “I am not calling for an AI ban or a Chromebook bonfire. What I am calling for is getting the balance right to harness the benefits of technology while mitigating the harms.”

To better understand technology’s impact, Weingarten proposed creating an independent research consortium to study the effects of AI and screens on student learning. She said her thinking evolved after speaking with parents and teachers and reviewing research on how devices affect children’s attention spans. She was alarmed to hear parents increasingly say they planned to opt their children out of using screens at school.

Weingarten criticized the Trump administration’s education policies during her speech, accusing it of dismantling the Education Department and withholding nearly $300 million in education research funding that could help study effective teaching methods in the AI era. She suggested a connection between the administration’s approach to technology and financial support from tech leaders, saying, “Yes, I’m not a detective, I am a school teacher, but I see some clues between the Trump administration’s laissez-faire approach to addressing the harms of technology and the tech titans who are funding the president’s ballroom, his presidential library and his political action committees.” She added, “With this administration, we are on our own.”

A White House spokesman pushed back on Weingarten’s proposals. Davis Ingle, White House spokesman, said she “is the last person who should be weighing in about what is best for American students” because the AFT had advocated for safety measures before schools reopened during the Covid pandemic.

Despite the AFT’s partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic to train teachers on AI, Weingarten told reporters that she views many big technology companies as “playing a really negative role in terms of trying to push more tech into schools.” She illustrated her concerns by envisioning a classroom divided in half and asking, “How would anybody be able to teach?”