Originally written in Traditional Chinese: 孩子抗議的，不是 AI，是被跳過
We assumed kids would be the ones most eager for AI. This week, a group of students in New York walked out of class and said: slow down.
On October 20, nearly 100 students at LaGuardia High School, an arts high school in Manhattan, walked out at midday and marched to Lincoln Center, chanting "Whose future? Our future!" It was part of a "National Walkout to Freeze AI." U.S. media reported that the walkout was planned at more than 50 college campuses.
What stayed with me was not the slogan. It was their reasons.
Students said the school's parents association used AI to make posters for a school talent show, instead of using student artwork. A student who hopes to score films worries film and TV producers will use AI instead of hiring composers. One senior said: "I think it's pretty telling that the people who have to protest against AI are the children, the students." A sophomore put it this way: "Everybody has a story. Do not let generative AI write yours."
That poster stopped me. To an adult, a poster is a task to finish. To a child, it is a chance to be seen. Using AI saves the adult an evening. The child loses a moment of "I made this."
My take: the students are not protesting AI. They are protesting being skipped.
To be clear, I am not endorsing a freeze on AI, nor arguing against one. That is an American advocacy campaign with real debate around it. I am not saying adults should never use AI for a poster; often AI is the right call. And these words speak only for the students who walked out; news reports give no national count of participants.
What I notice is this: we spend a lot of time debating how children should use AI, and very little asking how adults use AI in front of children. New York City announced last month a one-year pause on generative AI for students in eighth grade and below. The rules are written for kids. The poster was made by adults.
One thing to try today. I call it "whose practice is this?" Before you hand a task to AI, ask two questions. First: "Whose chance to practice was this?" Second: "If they knew I used AI, would they agree?" The second is one of the seven judgment criteria I teach in my course. If both pass, use AI with confidence. If either one sticks, give the task back to that person first.
For parents: tonight, ask your child, "Is there something at home or at school that you think a person should do, not AI?" Then resist answering for them.
For educators: before you use AI to build your next worksheet, ask whether students could make half of it.
For professionals: the task you just saved with AI may have been someone's first chance to practice.
Back to the poster. What the kids want is not a prettier poster. It is the small signature in the corner. The stronger AI gets, the more that signature is worth.
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