Norway is largely banning generative AI tools in elementary schools and restricting their use in secondary schools.

"The most important thing in school is that our children learn to read, write, and do math," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said Friday, adding that "uncritical use of AI causes students to skip important learning steps." Stoere pointed to a decline in learning outcomes since around 2015 and holds smartphones, screens, and algorithms partly responsible.

The new rules take effect at the start of the school year in late August. Students in grades 1 through 7 (ages 6 to 13) generally won't be allowed to use AI. In lower secondary school (ages 14 to 16), AI tools can be used cautiously under supervision. Older students will learn how to use AI the right way.

The government also plans to pass a law requiring municipalities to provide physical teaching materials in schools, which means more books back in classrooms. Stoere said previous governments gave digital media too much weight. Norway had already banned smartphones in schools, given teachers more authority in the classroom, and is planning a social media ban for children under 16.

As early as 2024, Swedish researchers looked into the link between AI use and students' ability to learn. The results showed both opportunities and risks.

Other countries are tightening the rules too

Norway isn't alone. Japan issued guidelines back in 2023 calling for special caution with children under 13 and classifying AI-generated schoolwork as cheating. In the U.S., a court ruled in 2024 that schools can penalize unauthorized use of AI. UC Berkeley Law School will ban AI for nearly all graded assignments starting in the summer of 2026, allowing it only for research.

Some countries are going the other direction. The United Arab Emirates will make AI a required subject from kindergarten through 12th grade starting in the 2025-26 school year. In Germany, the Conference of Ministers of Education has called for weaving AI into the classroom and called a ban "unrealistic and untenable."

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