Exclusive | Senators Express ‘Grave Concerns,’ Launch Inquiry into Google’s AI Push in Schools

A bipartisan duo of U.S. senators is seeking answers from Google following a Wall Street Journal investigation into the impact of the tech giant’s AI tools on schoolchildren.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) sent a letter to Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai Wednesday morning, seeking information about what Google knows about its AI products’ impact on children’s mental health and educational development.

The senators expressed “grave concern” that Google’s “aggressive push of A.I. products to children in schools is threatening the academic success and overall wellbeing of an entire generation.”

The letter cites a September Wall Street Journal investigation showing that Google’s ubiquitous artificial intelligence tools in American classrooms have led to many students becoming emotionally and academically dependent on AI, according to interviews with more than 60 teachers, school officials, parents, children and clinicians.

The investigation also found that Google’s own researchers have warned that the technology can pose elevated risks to children and has the potential for cognitive and emotional harm, according to interviews with current and former Google employees and a review of Google research papers.

A Google spokesperson pointed to a previous statement, where the company said that “teachers around the world use our technology every day because it solves real classroom challenges and helps improve learning outcomes. We undertake detailed public research and build our products in partnership with educators based on rigorous learning science, while giving teachers and administrators control.”

Google has also said that it focuses on encouraging critical thinking and has specific protections for users under 18, including to prevent emotional dependence.

The senators asked Pichai for answers about several aspects of Google’s technology, including:

The letter asked for responses by Nov. 2.

“Google is forcing their A.I. products into classrooms across America, and children are paying the price,” the senators wrote. “We cannot repeat the mistakes of social media platforms where products are pushed onto children putting profit ahead of young peoples’ best interest.”

Falling test scores have fueled a growing backlash to school screentime across the political spectrum. The parent furor has led some districts, including New York City and Los Angeles, to impose moratoriums on student use of AI in the classroom.

The Trump Federal Communications Commission in June opened an inquiry into a decades-old school internet subsidy program, seeking public comment on how to better protect children from excessive school screen time on federally funded school networks.