SF Schools Chief Faces Backlash Over Push for AI Tools in Classrooms

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Superintendent Maria Su is facing backlash from teachers and parents over her push to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) tools in classrooms. At Salesforce's Dreamforce conference, Su spoke about deploying AI products not in software development, but in the classroom, arguing that SFUSD teachers need AI tools to be successful.

She claimed that 'we need to make sure we understand the tools that we put in front of our students, make sure we train our educators to use the tools right.'

However, some parents and teachers are wary of AI's advance into the classroom. Over 1,000 parents and teachers signed a petition calling for limiting AI tools and restricting screen time.

Salesforce has made AI a priority with its donations to SFUSD, encouraging training teachers to include AI in their lesson plans. Since 2013, Salesforce has donated over $156 million to San Francisco and Oakland public schools, including a recent $18 million grant supporting SFUSD and other school districts.

Despite concerns from parents and teachers, Su seemed certain that such tools would be used by teachers and students. She did not speak of listening to teachers or parents about whether they might want these tools at all.