AI & Education News — 2026-10-19 (Mon) Evening News

Overview

- AI rules and education programs moved across several age groups, with school policy at the center. Examples are New York City Public Schools' ban through middle school and a ministry's demand that schools set clear rules (ABC News, Laodong.vn). - In Japan, the main items were a digital textbook guideline that does not allow AI for now, classes that avoid handing thinking over to AI, and a trial of an AI function in a university student portal app (Asahi Shimbun, Kodomo to IT, At Press). - Nothing was reported on older adults, and the tracked key figure (Sal Khan) does not appear in any headline.

AI literacy

- College of DuPage is bringing OpenAI Academy to Illinois for an inaugural AI summit (Crain's Chicago Business). - Four Maryland school districts will miss a state AI policy deadline (Capital Gazette). - New York City Public Schools is banning AI use through middle school starting this year (ABC News). - An article on AI education in schools discusses the role of teachers (Vietnam.vn). - In Japan, Shincho QUE ran an interview with AI researcher Satoshi Kurihara on education in the AI era. It asks whether generative AI lowers children's thinking ability and which age group needs caution; the headline poses these as questions and does not give an answer (Shincho QUE). - In Japan, Hiroshima-based AI training company WEAVE made Rastudio, the operator of the 22-year-old cram school "Manabiya SORA," a wholly owned subsidiary and set up a new course for skills needed in the AI era. This is a corporate announcement, and no results are reported (PR TIMES). - In Japan, the "Alterna Fan College" is starting service in October and has opened special enrollment. It offers 426 practical AI lectures from an effective 2,800 yen a month, with support linked to engineers (Dream News).

Early childhood education

- A Detroit News opinion piece argues that in the age of AI, kids need more books and less screen time. This is an opinion, not a policy or a research finding (The Detroit News). - Ateneo has opened free AI training and a national contest for Filipino students. The headline does not give the students' ages (Manila Bulletin). - A ministry of education and training is requiring schools to state clearly when AI use is allowed and when it is not (Laodong.vn). - In Japan, Keishin Group HOPPA is holding a seminar on the "ability to keep learning" that children need in the AI age, on the 25th (ICT Education News).

Elementary school students

- South China Morning Post's Top 10 feature asks students what AI tool they would invent to make student life easier (South China Morning Post). - In Japan, under the digital textbook guideline, each video is limited to about 3 minutes and AI-equipped textbooks are not allowed for now. This is a rule, not a reported outcome (Asahi Shimbun). - In Japan, an online symposium in Tokushima will discuss where the course of study revision is heading in an era of digital learning infrastructure that includes AI (Nikkyoweb). - In Japan, Kenmei Gakuin Elementary School is running inquiry learning with generative AI in which pupils first "build a question" before they "look for an answer" (Weekly Osaka Nichinichi). - In Japan, Hakuhodo reported a forum session on Generation Alpha's vision of the future of AI and consumers (Hakuhodo). - In Japan, an AI agent has been added to the children's programming language "PG0." It is offered to classrooms and schools to build the ability to use AI well (Mado no Mori).

Middle school students

- In Japan, an Asahi Shimbun editorial writer's commentary calls for reforms that raise the motivation to learn among diverse children in the AI era (Asahi Shimbun). - In Japan, a visiting class at a middle school in Kyoto's Shimogyo Ward carried the message that AI should be used to protect daily life and culture (Kyoto Shimbun via Yahoo! News). - In Japan, Munakata junior and senior high school signed an agreement with a New Zealand school, with exchange on AI use and inquiry learning (Munakata Keizai Shimbun). - In Japan, LoiLo published a report on a teacher training session about classes that do not leave thinking to AI (Kodomo to IT).

High school students

- OpenAI's educator AI workshops produced reusable tools, but teachers want more practice (EdTech Innovation Hub). - Thanh Hoa is promoting the use of AI in teaching and learning (Vietnam.vn). - In Japan, Okayama University built a prototype bilingual Japanese-English virtual curator that uses generative AI to convey the history and culture of the Ohara HonTei residence. It was developed with Kurashiki Seiryo High School and presented at an international conference (Okayama University). - In Japan, participants are being recruited for the Tokyo AI Hackathon, where students build an AI product in 6 weeks (Kodomo to IT). - In Japan, AXISTA held an AI study session for business leaders at the Fujiyoshida Chamber of Commerce. The company's representative is 20 years old and a graduate of Yoshida High School (Jiji.com).

University students

- The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has a new program to educate future AI professionals (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette). - Times Higher Education carries a piece on helping undergraduates sustain critical AI use under deadline pressure (Times Higher Education). - In Japan, Kindai University has started a demonstration trial of an AI function in its student portal app, aiming to make the student support desk available online 24 hours a day (At Press). - In South Korea, university entrance exams are now checking for AI glasses every hour, which is burdening the teachers who proctor the exams (KOREA WAVE via Yahoo! News).

Adults

- In Japan, a webinar asks whether AI-generated test questions can be used as they are (Niconico News). - This is a projection, not a measured result (Excite).

Older adults

No notable developments.

Statements by key figures

No notable developments. 【Integrated analysis: how lifelong learning is changing】 - Common across ages: rule-setting is the main task. New York City's ban through middle school, Maryland districts missing a state deadline, a ministry's demand for clear permitted and non-permitted uses, and Japan's rule against AI in digital textbooks for now all concern where AI is allowed (ABC News, Capital Gazette, Laodong.vn, Asahi Shimbun). - Also common: concern about handing over thinking. The Kurihara interview, LoiLo's teacher training on classes that do not leave thinking to AI, and Kenmei Gakuin's practice of building questions first all address this. Each is a question, a plan, or a practice, and none reports a confirmed effect on children (Shincho QUE, Kodomo to IT, Weekly Osaka Nichinichi). - Differences by age: for younger children, the headlines center on limits and screen time. For high school and above, they center on building things with AI (a hackathon, a virtual curator) and on running services and exams (a student portal, AI glasses checks) (Kodomo to IT, Okayama University, At Press, KOREA WAVE). - Decisions are shifting. Teachers and schools appear to be asked to define allowed uses, and teachers say they need more practice after the workshops (Laodong.vn, EdTech Innovation Hub). Learners, especially university students, appear to be asked to keep their use of AI critical under time pressure (Times Higher Education). This is an inference from the headlines.

What to watch

- Whether state and national school AI rules are actually put in place and how schools respond, including the Maryland districts that missed their deadline and the Ministry of Education and Training's requirement. - Japan's course of study revision discussion and the digital textbook guideline, including how long AI remains disallowed. - Whether teacher training moves beyond workshops to more hands-on practice, and whether any evidence of effects emerges.