Norway bans generative AI for elementary students to protect foundational learning skills

Norway imposes broad restrictions on AI for elementary school kids - Engadget

Norway is imposing a strict ban on the use of generative AI tools by elementary school kids, according to a report by Reuters. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere suggested at a press conference that AI lets children skip crucial steps in their education and that schools should focus on teaching them how to "read, write and do mathematics." These standards will be imposed at the start of the new school year, which begins in late August. The ban impacts students from first through seventh grade, ages six to 13. However, the policy also extends to teens, albeit in a reduced fashion. Kids aged 14 to 16 can use generative AI, but only with a teacher's supervision. Teens 17 and above are encouraged to use AI appropriately on their own. This isn't the first move Norway has made to remove tech from classrooms. The country banned smartphones from schools back in 2024, which has proven to be a success. It led to a reduction in bullying, better grades and a significant decrease in the number of visits to psychologists for mental health issues. These results were especially potent with girls. Norway is also planning a social media ban for all children under 16, which is similar to how Australia handles things. A bill will be introduced to parliament by the end of the year. The US has also been slowly making moves to limit the amount of time kids can spend with AI chatbots. The Senate and the House have been discussing a bill that would require AI companies to implement an age-verification process and ban them from providing chatbots to minors. The so-called Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue Act, or GUARD Act, advanced past the US Senate Judiciary Committee but has yet to be voted on. The language of the bill did soften last month. When originally proposed, it was aimed at nearly every AI-powered chatbot. Now, it just refers to "AI companions", which potentially means that products like ChatGPT, Gemini and CoPilot would be exempt. Critics of the legislation have suggested that the bill's narrower language could let companies exempt themselves if the chatbot function of their tools are deemed "incidental." After all, it's a fine-line between an "AI companion" and a "search tool" that someone happens to talk to 24/7.

'This might actually force some actual brain cells to fire': Norway is banning younger school kids from using generative AI

* AI access will be limited in Norway for under-13s * The guidelines are coming into force in September * From age 13, AI can be "cautiously" introduced It's not just social media that governments are cracking down on when it comes to access for kids: Norway has now decreed that generative AI should effectively be banned for schoolchildren up to the age of 13. Starting in September, children in grades 1-7 (primary school, younger than 13) will "generally not be given access to AI" according to the official ruling translated from Norwegian (via Reuters). From ages 13 and up, "AI can be used gradually and cautiously", provided teachers have been given the necessary training. While the Norwegian government acknowledges that AI can be beneficial for learning in certain scenarios, the statement emphasizes that basic reading, writing, and math skills should come first -- and in these areas, skills and grades have been in decline for kids in Norway over the last few years. "Research shows that uncritical use of generative AI in schools increases the risk of skipping important stages of learning," explains the official statement, translated from Norwegian. "The youngest students do not have the knowledge, critical reflection and self-regulation needed to use AI well." AI and social media Norway imposes near ban on AI in elementary school from r/technology Phones have been banned from school classrooms in Norway since 2024, and the restrictions on AI use come after social media was banned for under-16s earlier this year -- following a similar move by the authorities in Australia in 2025, and matching legislation that the UK plans to enforce from next year. The safety of both social media and generative AI are facing increasing scrutiny from governments and regulators around the world, especially when it comes to children and young people. The UK's proposed social media ban also includes guidelines for how AI should be used at younger ages too. Many apps and platforms are making pre-emptive moves: ChatGPT already comes with robust parental controls, and has a lower age limit of 13, for example. Meta, meanwhile, is experimenting with using more AI to better detect the age of its users, so relevant limits and restrictions can be put in place. The general consensus online seems to be that it's the right move. "This ban might actually force some actual brain cells to fire for once," writes one user on Reddit, while another floats concerns about the "hallucinated garbage" that AI can produce. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Norway Imposes Near Ban on AI in Elementary School

OSLO, June 19 (Reuters) - Norway is imposing a ⁠near ⁠ban on the use ⁠of generative AI tools by elementary school pupils while also restricting their use in the education of older children to prevent a negative impact on learning, the country's prime minister said on Friday. Facing a broad decline in education test scores, ⁠the government ⁠in 2024 banned smartphones from schools and has given teachers back more powers to enforce discipline in the classroom. Using AI increases the risk that young children skip important steps in their education, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a press conference on Friday. "The most important thing in school is that ⁠our ⁠children learn to read, ⁠write and do mathematics," Stoere said, adding that the new standards will be imposed from the new school year ⁠beginning in late August. Pupils from first through seventh grade, aged 6 to 13, should as a general rule not be using AI, while those in lower secondary school, aged 14 to 16, can cautiously adopt tools under teachers' ⁠supervision, the government said. In upper secondary education, from ages 17 to 19, ⁠students should learn to use AI appropriately so that they are prepared for further education and work, it added. Norway began adopting computers in classrooms in the 1990s and tablets after the introduction of the iPad from 2010 onwards, reducing the reliance on books and handwriting. But in a related statement on Friday the government also said it will propose legislation to fund the use of more books in ⁠classrooms, reversing the trend towards computer tablets. The Norwegian government in April also announced plans to ban children from using social media until they turn 16, following a trend pioneered by Australia and some other nations to reduce young people's use of electronic devices. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)