Pause on Generative AI in BC Schools
BC Ministry of Education and Child Care
New stories come out each week of the negative impacts of AI on society. From driving people to psychosis, to students becoming reliant on tools like ChatGPT to write essays for them.
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are being put in classrooms across BC.
We demand that the Ministry of Education and Child Care enact a two-year pause (moratorium) on AI usage in classrooms in British Columbia.
This means that for two years, in schools in BC:
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Students will not use generative AI in classrooms.
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Students will not use generative AI for homework.
Why pause AI use in schools?
There is enough evidence that AI use causes serious harm to students.
There is no substantial scientific evidence that AI supports learning.
Until more research is done on how or if AI can be used in education, the risks far outweigh the benefits.
AI Harms Learning
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Its use is associated with worse learning outcomes (Kosmyna 2025)
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Students who used AI perform worse than those who never used it and give up quickly (Bastani 2024, Liu et al 2026)
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Users of generative AI over-estimate how well they know a subject (Fernandes 2025)
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Frequent use of AI can reduce critical thinking (Gerlich 2024)
AI Harms Relationships
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Chatbot persuasive design can lower children’s emotional resilience
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AI chatbots weaken responsible decision-making and harm relationships
AI Harms Mental Health
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Common Sense Media recommends that children and teens not be allowed to use AI chatbots at all
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AI chatbots have told children how to commit suicide
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AI chatbots have also talked about sexual topics with children
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Use of AI chatbots has triggered psychosis in adults and is part of a mental health epidemic
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AI use in workplaces is causing burnout and brain-fry
How you can help
Spread the word
Share this petition with parents, teachers, residents of British Columbia.
Talk to your school administration about your concerns.
Print out the poster and put it up where you have permission.
Email the Minister of Education and Child Care, the Honourable Lisa Beare, ECC.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Donate to help with poster costs
We are running a poster campaign in Vancouver to spread awareness. If you have $10 to spare, please consider donating to the fund-raiser.
Ask Potential School Board Trustees
School boards have elections every four years. Vancouver School Board Trustee election will happen on October 17, 2026, as part of the city election.
Ask candidates what their stance is on AI use in classrooms. Do they support a pause on AI in classrooms?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why a pause / moratorium?
Put simply, the current research shows that the risks of AI outweigh the benefits. We need more time for rigorous and unbiased studies to know the effects of AI on learning and mental health.
Q: Does the Ministry of Education and Child Care have the power to enact a pause/moratorium?
Yes, they do.
When it was clear that cell phones had a negative impact on the education and mental health of students, the Ministry of Education and Child Care created a policy that required school boards to restrict cellphones in classrooms.
According to the recent American Psychological Organization’s health advisory, AI could have greater negative effects than cell phones on the education and mental health of students.
Q: Don't students need to learn how to use AI?
Using generative AI is extremely simple, persuasive, and addictive. It only requires asking questions in plain English, and so only takes a short time to learn how to use. If workplaces require it, students can learn it just like any other tool.
When email and Microsoft Excel became ubiquitous in workplaces, we did not re-organize our entire education system to suit them.
Q: Is AI really being used in schools?
Yes. Vancouver School Board has a contract with Microsoft to make Copilot AI available in the classrooms. Parents have reported students being assigned homework to try using AI at home. Surrey schools are using AI. Schools in Richmond are also using AI. North Vancouver is also in favour of using AI in classrooms.
Q: Won't some students use AI to cheat anyway?
Cheating has always been an issue in schools. In the past, it was paying someone to write an essay for you. Schools didn't give up and assign each student a person to write their essays for them. Why should they let students cheat now?
We need to help kids learn on their own, not make it easier to cheat.
Contact us
If you are interested in learning more or helping to organize, please consider joining Zulip at aicaution.zulipchat.com, a chat/forum that we are using to collaborate.
You can also email us at contact@aicaution.ca
Sponsored by
To:
BC Ministry of Education and Child Care
From:
[Your Name]
We demand that the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care put in place a two-year pause on Generative AI in schools. Students would not use generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot in classrooms or as part of any homework assignments. Any future considerations of AI use in schools must be informed by evaluation of existing as well as emergent harms and in consultation with parents and caregivers.
The Ministry has previously put in place a ban on cell phones in schools, with the justification that restricting cell phone use "leads to better learning outcomes and helps support mental health and social connections."
There is enough scientific evidence on the negative impacts of Generative AI to justify the same actions. Its use is associated with worse learning outcomes, poorer mental health, and weakened social connections.
AI is not the future, our children are! We need your help to protect their wellbeing!