KPS Implements AI Tools After Vetting Process, Hosts Seminars on Digital Parenting

Kalamazoo Public Schools is moving forward with artificial intelligence in its classrooms while simultaneously educating parents about the risks and ethical implications of AI chatbots for young people.

The district has selected Magic School AI, a program that protects student data and privacy, after a thorough vetting process. Teachers can use the tool to create interactive learning experiences including study bots, quiz features, text rewriting tools, and character chat functions.

"It's been interesting to watch, because there was great resistance and then finally acceptance," Alex Miller, Kalamazoo Public Schools Coordinator of Instructional Technology said.

Miller is tasked with helping teachers and students become AI literate. With AI tools, students can drive their own learning in personalized ways that match their individual needs and learning styles.

"I've devoted my life to the struggle for equality and justice for all people, regardless of the color of their skin," the AI chatbot said when responding to a question Miller asked during a demonstration.

The tool allowed second graders to talk to book characters and ask historical figures questions as part of research assignments. Miller said it enables different levels of engagement that were not possible before.

Parents Attend Seminar After Concerns About Personal Questions

The program comes amid growing national concerns about AI chatbots being used by children outside of school for emotional support and therapy.

A recent report in Jama found about 13 percent of young people now use AI chatbots for mental health advice. In a different survey, 44 percent said they would rather talk with a chatbot than family or friends.

Parent Mustafa Nazari attended the Kalamazoo Public Schools Parenting in the Digital World seminar after his children were asked personal questions by an AI chatbot at home.

"AI was asking a lot of different kinds of questions about her name, her age, all these things," Nazari said.

According to a 2026 Pew Research Center poll, just over half of U.S. teens said they have used chatbots for help with schoolwork, and 12 percent have gotten emotional support from these tools.