Dutch MPs want to ban primary school children from using generative AI

The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, wants to ban primary school pupils from using generative artificial intelligence (AI). A motion proposed by Volt and the CDA, which asks the government to arrange such a ban, has the backing of a broad parliamentary majority.

Volt leader Laurens Dassen will submit the motion on Thursday during a debate on the education budget. It has also been signed by lawmakers from a wide range of left, center, and right-wing parties, including PRO, D66, the Partij voor de Dieren, DENK, 50PLUS, the SP, the ChristenUnie, and JA21.

“Young pupils develop their critical thinking skills, creativity, and imagination to a significant extent in primary school,” the motion states. “The use of generative AI poses a risk to this development.”

Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence that can produce new content, including text, video, and music. Chatbots such as ChatGPT are also examples of generative AI.

New statutory curriculum guidelines say primary school pupils should learn how to interact with AI responsibly. One of the new educational objectives is to teach children to “interact responsibly with an AI system.” They must also learn to identify and describe artificial intelligence. It was recently reported that schools are currently struggling with how to assign homework due to the emergence of AI.

The proposed ban would not prevent schools from teaching pupils about AI, even if children themselves were prohibited from using it. “We must not make the same mistake we made when social media was embraced uncritically,” Dassen said in a statement. He wants pupils to learn to read, write, and do arithmetic before using AI.

CDA parliamentarian Etkin Armut also argued that generative AI has no place in primary school pupils’ learning. “We believe learning from books should remain the foundation,” she said.

The organization representing primary schools understands lawmakers’ concerns about pupils using generative AI, but was taken aback by the parliamentary majority backing a complete ban. The decision “came out of the blue,” a spokesperson said.

The PO-Raad, the umbrella organization for Dutch primary education, notes that research suggests frequent use of generative AI by pupils appears to reduce “learning outcomes.” The organization says it is “extremely important above all that pupils learn how to analyze a source and think critically for themselves.”

The PO-Raad wants to work with the Education Ministry and experts to agree on how generative AI should be handled in primary education, saying “it is clear that something needs to be done.”

However, the organization notes that children also encounter AI outside the classroom. Teachers should therefore be able to “make pupils aware of the pitfalls,” it argues, while also pointing to the potential benefits of AI tools designed for educational purposes.