According to The Economist, an investigation at Khan Academy found students were getting an AI-powered simulation of the ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras to complete their math homework for them. The platform offers these chatbot simulations of historical figures as a study aid, but kids discovered that with the right prompting, the digital Pythagoras would essentially solve their assigned problems. This incident is part of a broader look at how artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming childhood, both at home and in school. The technology is creating entirely new dilemmas for parents and educators who are scrambling to adapt. It’s a clear sign that the old rules about learning and cheating are being completely rewritten in real time.
AI: Homework Helper or Cheating Machine?
So here’s the thing: this isn’t just about kids being sneaky. It’s about a fundamental mismatch. We’re handing students incredibly powerful, persuasive tools that are designed to be helpful, and then being surprised when they use them to, well, get the work done. The line between a “study aid” and a “cheat button” has become impossibly blurry. Is asking Pythagoras to explain a theorem different from asking him to just spit out the answer? In a chat interface, probably not. The kid just has to be a little more patient with the prompts. This puts teachers in a nearly impossible position. How do you design assignments that can’t be solved by a clever conversation with a dead philosopher? It’s an arms race educators might already be losing.
The Bigger Picture for AI and Kids
Now, the Pythagoras hack is just one symptom. Think about the other fronts in this transformation. AI companions for lonely kids, algorithmic feeds dictating their interests, and now, tutors that can do the work. The entire environment of childhood is becoming mediated by systems that are often inscrutable to the adults in charge. The real question isn’t “how do we stop this?” It’s probably too late for that. The real question is: how do we teach kids to use these tools with integrity and critical thinking? We need to move past the panic about cheating and start focusing on new forms of literacy. Basically, we have to teach them to work *with* the AI, not just rely on it to be a magic answer box. That’s a much harder lesson plan to write.
