Education experts are intensifying scrutiny of generative AI in classrooms, warning that the tools can drive “cognitive offloading” and worsen critical thinking if use is unrestricted. The piece points to the College Board survey finding that more than 80% of high school students used generative AI for schoolwork and cites Brookings research concluding that risks currently outweigh benefits in children’s education. The reporting also links the AI debate to earlier EdTech concerns about screen time. It notes analysis and testimony suggesting correlations between increased classroom technology use and lower standardized performance, while emphasizing that this is not a technology rejection argument but a question of how tools are deployed. Brookings’ findings draw on interviews and focus groups with educators, parents, and students across 50 countries, plus hundreds of studies, according to the article. It also references research including a Microsoft study connecting AI use with worse judgment and critical thinking. For higher education and K-12-to-college pipelines, the development is a live assessment and integrity issue: schools and universities face expanding policy pressure on generative AI acceptable-use standards, instructional design, and learning outcomes measurement.