Audrey Watters is a writer and independent scholar of education technology. She founded Hack Education and publishes the Second Breakfast newsletter. Her books include Teaching Machines, a history of personalized learning, and Claim Your Domain, about students' control of their digital work and identities.
DI has documented statements by Audrey Watters on Artificial Intelligence, Education, and Privacy. Read the quotations, original sources and related cases below.
Role at the time: Education technology writer and author
Mixed or conditional
Statement summary
Watters rejects claims that school AI is inevitable, citing existing moratoria. She argues that moving away from education technology requires an educational vision and attention to unequal resources and teachers' workloads.
“A move away from education technology, I’d argue, can’t focus simply on the products themselves.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Audrey Watters examines the educational vision behind refusing AIPresent Company Excepted; signed October 2 essay
Why we used this label
Watters treats refusal as possible but argues that restrictions need a broader educational purpose and support.
Microsoft and teachers’ unions promote enforceable school-AI safeguards. Fairplay’s Josh Golin wants a five-year pause, while New York City permits restricted high-school pilots. Critics of those pilots say they should wait for evidence and assessment criteria.
