Ed Pozzuoli, CEO of the Tripp Scott Law Firm, argues that artificial intelligence in education requires a regulatory framework established before the technology becomes embedded in children's daily lives. Writing for Fox News Opinion, Pozzuoli contends that society must avoid repeating the mistakes of the social media era, where safeguards for child safety and transparency arrived only after evidence of harm had already affected millions of children. He asserts that AI presents a rare opportunity to implement protections for safety, accountability, and transparency prior to widespread adoption.
The article draws a direct parallel between the unregulated expansion of social media platforms and the current trajectory of AI in schools. Pozzuoli notes that social media expanded with few meaningful protections for age-appropriate design or parental visibility. By the time policymakers responded, engagement-maximizing systems had already shaped the development of young users.
A responsible framework, according to Pozzuoli, must operate on the principle that AI enhances human learning rather than replacing human judgment. Teachers must retain authority over instruction, grading, and curriculum, while parents must serve as the primary decision-makers in their children's education. This includes providing parents with meaningful visibility into how AI interacts with their children, what data is collected, and how recommendations are generated. Students must continue to develop core habits of reasoning, writing, and critical thought.
Pozzuoli distinguishes between artificial intelligence and what he terms Ethical Intelligence. While AI can make learning faster and more personalized, Ethical Intelligence addresses questions of truth, fairness, and responsibility that technology cannot answer independently. He warns that intelligence without ethics can optimize for convenience while weakening character formation. In an educational context, delivering answers without judgment or speed without wisdom is not progress.
The article outlines specific standards for student-facing AI. These include transparency regarding usage, strong privacy protections, limits on data collection and commercialization, and prohibitions on manipulation or behavioral profiling. Outputs must be age-appropriate, and parents must have access and oversight capabilities. Pozzuoli emphasizes that educational AI must demonstrate both safety and effectiveness through classroom-based pilot testing before reaching millions of children. He rejects the social media model of deploying technology first and regulating it later.
Ultimately, Pozzuoli positions AI as a tool for tutoring, coaching, and research assistance rather than a substitute for intellectual and moral development. Education involves learning how to think and judge through effort and reflection. While the internet expanded access to knowledge and social media connected billions of people, both introduced vulnerabilities. AI could become one of the most beneficial innovations in education history only if governed by a framework that protects children while preserving the purpose of schooling. States can encourage innovation by insisting that technology serves education, not the reverse.