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The end of the fiscal year is near. For many school administrators, that means scrambling to decide whether to spend more money on artificial intelligence-driven ed tech products that promise everything from letting teachers operate on autopilot to ensuring that all students receive exactly what they need, minute-by-minute.
Principals, superintendents and other school leaders are being subjected to sleek demos from presenters who know all the right buzzwords. Salespeople are showcasing technologies and hinting that, should administrators choose not to buy their product, students will be left behind. That the digital divide will grow — on their watch.
This intense pressure will cause some school leaders to sign agreements that will not serve their students well. While most mistakes won’t rise to the level of prominent school districts supporting a failed startup, some administrators will nonetheless let anxiety rule the day. They will spend money on tried-and-true methods that could do more good than the shiny new thing.
What can prevent this? Asking the right questions.
I have spent years on both sides of the table. As a teacher, I used both good and bad ed tech, so I have seen what actually works in the classroom. As an employee of an ed tech startup I designed technologies that were sold to schools, so I know when promises are inflated to help the bottom line. As a professor of educational technologies and leader of the University of Southern California’s Center for Generative AI and Society, I study these technologies to know what works — and what doesn’t — when it comes to AI’s influence on education.
That is why, with the support from my colleagues, I have written a report titled “Beyond the Salespitch: A Practical Guide to Questioning EdTech Vendors.” Below are some key questions every school leader must consider before signing on the dotted line and committing limited resources to AI-powered ed tech.
While AI has the potential to be a powerful tutor, a strong assistant and an equalizer in under-resourced classrooms, it can do so only if educators adopt tools with full information. School administrators should demand transparency, evidence and ethical safeguards from the companies that build them.
District leaders should take these questions back to their board, curriculum team and legal counsel. Let them, not the slickness of a demo, drive the conversation. This can turn AI from a tempting shortcut into a responsible ally in education.
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Stephen Aguilar is co-director of the USC Center for Generative AI and Society.
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By Stephen Aguilar
This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. Sign up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more like this in your inbox.
The end of the fiscal year is near. For many school administrators, that means scrambling to decide whether to spend more money on artificial intelligence-driven ed tech products that promise everything from letting teachers operate on autopilot to ensuring that all students receive exactly what they need, minute-by-minute.
Principals, superintendents and other school leaders are being subjected to sleek demos from presenters who know all the right buzzwords. Salespeople are showcasing technologies and hinting that, should administrators choose not to buy their product, students will be left behind. That the digital divide will grow — on their watch.
This intense pressure will cause some school leaders to sign agreements that will not serve their students well. While most mistakes won’t rise to the level of prominent school districts supporting a failed startup, some administrators will nonetheless let anxiety rule the day. They will spend money on tried-and-true methods that could do more good than the shiny new thing.
What can prevent this? Asking the right questions.
I have spent years on both sides of the table. As a teacher, I used both good and bad ed tech, so I have seen what actually works in the classroom. As an employee of an ed tech startup I designed technologies that were sold to schools, so I know when promises are inflated to help the bottom line. As a professor of educational technologies and leader of the University of Southern California’s Center for Generative AI and Society, I study these technologies to know what works — and what doesn’t — when it comes to AI’s influence on education.
That is why, with the support from my colleagues, I have written a report titled “Beyond the Salespitch: A Practical Guide to Questioning EdTech Vendors.” Below are some key questions every school leader must consider before signing on the dotted line and committing limited resources to AI-powered ed tech.
While AI has the potential to be a powerful tutor, a strong assistant and an equalizer in under-resourced classrooms, it can do so only if educators adopt tools with full information. School administrators should demand transparency, evidence and ethical safeguards from the companies that build them.
District leaders should take these questions back to their board, curriculum team and legal counsel. Let them, not the slickness of a demo, drive the conversation. This can turn AI from a tempting shortcut into a responsible ally in education.
Copyright 2026 The 74 Media, Inc
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