AI isn't deskilling our kids with Dr Rob Wessman (#342)

What if the real risk of AI in schools isn't that it cheats - it's that it quietly switches off the parts of our brains we need most? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Rob Wessman, VP of Ethics and Safety at School AI, to dig into one of the most important questions in education right now: are we building AI tools that develop young people, or tools that do the developing for them? With a background as a high school English teacher, school administrator, and Harvard EdLD graduate, Rob brings a genuinely human lens to the world of edtech and a compelling case for why getting this right matters more than getting it fast. We cover:- The MIT study that showed students struggling to think for themselves after outsourcing their essays to AI- Why School AI's research shows a 28% boost in higher-order reasoning - and how design makes the difference- The deskilling risk hiding in plain sight (and what endoscopy doctors can teach us about it)- Why banning AI in schools may be more dangerous than letting students use it unsupervised- The "agency with guardrails" challenge: how do you build tools that protect without limiting?- What Singapore's education ministry gets right — and why we should be paying attention- Why School AI removed their cute avatar and what it says about human-AI honesty Whether you're a school leader trying to make sense of AI policy, an educator worried about what students are losing, or just someone who wants the tech to actually serve learning, we think you'll like this one! Chapters0:00 Introductions02:35 Rob Wessman's Background in Education05:16 Rob's Role at School AI and Its Mission08:45 Designing AI to Promote Critical Thinking12:05 Safety Guardrails and Ethical Use of AI14:03 MIT Study on De-skilling and AI Risks17:00 Boosting Higher-Order Reasoning with AI20:27 Supporting Teachers and Human Connection24:09 Legislation and Societal Concerns about AI28:15 Educating About AI and Its Risks32:47 Future Directions and Responsible AI Design40:37 What Remains Human in Education?43:31 Closing Remarks Read the research around SchoolAI and Critical ThinkingFind out more about SchoolAICheck out all things Edufuturists