AI in classrooms: Friend or foe? Benefits, boundaries, and why learning is still a human act

The arrival of AI-enabled devices in schools—often called AI PCs—marks a shift from computers as passive portals to machines that can generate explanations, draft feedback and adapt tasks in real time. That possibility excites and alarms in equal measure. Used well, AI can help teachers manage wide learning gaps and crowded classrooms. Used poorly, it can deskill learners, monetise children’s attention and fragment already-stretched school budgets. The right question is not whether AI belongs in classrooms, but under what terms, with what boundaries, and to what end. Traditional classroom technology serves up content; AI PCs try to shape it. On-device models can summarise a chapter at different reading levels, propose practice questions, or flag misconceptions as a student types. For