The American Federation of Teachers escalated its stance on student technology use, calling for rollbacks on elementary classroom AI and broader restrictions on screen time. AFT president Randi Weingarten said the union wants limitations on student use of digital technology under grade 3 and restrictions on “student-facing” AI tools in elementary school. AFT’s proposal also targets “companion chatbots” for students under 16 and argues districts cannot manage the “tech juggernaut” without safeguards, research, and training on safety and privacy issues. The union cited concerns that educational technology has functioned as a large-scale experiment on children. The union’s policy direction matters to universities with teacher-prep programs and education research partnerships, because it affects classroom field placements, professional development priorities, and the evidence requirements for AI-enabled learning tools.