AI in America: Teachers Sound Alarm as Bipartisan Consensus on Public Ownership Emerges

A new NPR/Ipsos poll reveals that nearly three-quarters of K-12 teachers believe artificial intelligence will have a bigger impact on education than the internet or personal computers — and most are deeply worried about its effect on students’ critical thinking skills. At the same time, in a rare moment of bipartisan alignment, President Donald Trump, Senator Bernie Sanders, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are all publicly discussing models for public ownership of AI, signaling a potential shift in how America approaches the governance of the technology.

The Classroom Reality: Teachers on the Front Lines

The nationally representative poll, conducted by Ipsos from April 27 to May 5, 2026, surveyed 545 K-12 teachers and paints a complex picture of AI’s role in American classrooms. While 62% of teachers report using AI themselves for tasks like lesson planning and administrative work, a majority express serious concerns about the technology’s impact on students.

Fifty-four percent of teachers say AI makes it harder for students to learn critical thinking skills, and 55% view AI as mostly a shortcut for students to avoid doing more work. The erosion of trust is particularly striking: 59% of teachers agree that AI is eroding the level of trust between students and teachers, while 57% say it makes it harder to assess students’ actual level of knowledge.

“We’re in an environment where teachers feel like this is going to fundamentally reshape the future of education moving forward,” said Mallory Newall, a senior vice president at Ipsos. “They have serious concerns about AI’s impact on how they relate to their students and how students relate to each other.”

Adapting to a New Reality

Teachers are already adapting their classrooms in response to AI. About 4-in-10 have required more assignments to be done by hand, and the same share have moved more work into class time where they can monitor students directly. Michele Naber, a biology teacher at El Toro High School in California, said she had to stop offering extra credit for community service events after learning how easily students could generate fake attendance photos using AI.

“I care about [my students]. I want them to be able to look at the world and figure out things for themselves, not rely on a piece of software,” Naber told NPR. “If we stop questioning what it says, we can be led to believe anything. And that’s what really scares me.”

Yet the picture is not uniformly negative. Special education teachers have found AI to be a valuable assistive technology. Ellie Rodriguez, a special education teacher in Florida, praised a student on the autism spectrum who used AI to complete an assignment he otherwise could not have finished. And 78% of teachers believe that teaching responsible use of AI should be part of their school’s curriculum — a clear signal that educators want to engage with the technology rather than simply ban it.

The Guidance Gap

Despite these strong opinions, most teachers are navigating AI’s challenges with little institutional support. Fifty-two percent say their school has not offered any guidance on AI, or they are not sure what the guidance is. Only 33% report that their school has a formal policy on student use of AI, and just 23% say the same for teacher use.

“I think teachers are looking for additional guidance from their district and from their students, frankly, on what AI is going to mean for the future of education,” Newall said.

A Rare Bipartisan Alignment on AI Governance

While teachers grapple with AI in the classroom, a separate but equally significant conversation is unfolding at the highest levels of American government and industry. In a development that has surprised many observers, President Trump, Senator Sanders, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are all discussing models for public ownership of AI companies.

According to AP News, Sanders announced a plan for the public to take a 50% ownership stake in AI companies such as OpenAI, using their stock to create a public wealth fund. Altman requested and held a nearly hourlong meeting with Sanders in early June, telling the senator that he too wants the public to have equity in AI companies — though he could not support the 50% threshold.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on June 5, Trump described a potential partnership “where the American people can benefit from the success of AI” and said executives from leading AI companies will visit the White House “probably next week” to discuss the idea. Trump noted similarities between his voters and Sanders’ supporters on economic views.

Broader AI Policy Landscape

The convergence on public ownership is part of a broader wave of AI policy activity. Congress released a bipartisan framework this week that would establish the first broad federal approach to AI regulation while temporarily preempting many state laws. The Trump administration has also signed an executive order establishing a process for reviewing national security risks posed by advanced AI systems before their public release.

Meanwhile, the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is generating its own controversies. Altman appeared alongside Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at the groundbreaking of a massive data center in Saline Township on June 1, drawing criticism from local activists and Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Data center projects across the country have faced opposition from residents concerned about electricity demand, water consumption, and environmental impacts.

What’s Next

The coming weeks could prove pivotal. Trump has indicated that AI company executives will visit the White House to discuss public ownership models, while Sanders continues to push for legislative action. The bipartisan congressional framework for AI regulation will need to navigate deep partisan divisions on specific provisions. And in classrooms across America, teachers will continue to adapt — largely without formal guidance — to a technology that most believe will fundamentally reshape education.

As Christa Corricelli, a special education teacher in Massachusetts, put it: “I think we’re all just kind of trying not to drown with the whole thing.”