Decoder with Nilay Patel Rewind: How AI is fueling an existential crisis in education
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May 7, 2026 
Adam Dubé, a McGill learning sciences professor who studies AI and education, dives into the chaos of AI in schools. He explores why digital natives are a myth. Why chatbots can feel helpful while being wrong. How students actually use AI for brainstorming, editing, and summaries. And why school policies, grading, and cheating debates are all colliding.
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Schools Are Repeating The iPad Hype Cycle
- Teachers fear schools are repeating the iPad mistake by adopting AI before proving it helps children learn.
- Dubé found kids made random taps in early math apps, yet the apps still advanced, creating a false sense that children naturally understood the technology.
AI Use In School Is Broader Than Cheating
- Most student AI use is not full-assignment cheating; it clusters around explanation, brainstorming, summarizing, and editing.
- Dubé says self-reported whole-assignment generation stays near 10%, while 80% use AI to explain concepts and 70% to generate ideas.
School AI Policy Is A Local Patchwork
- School AI policy is fragmented because local leaders, parents, budgets, and attitudes toward screens pull in different directions.
- Some administrators pitch AI as staffing relief or cost savings, while teachers and leaders disagree over whether students, staff, or both should use it.