Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, is helping lead a global conversation on how artificial intelligence (AI) can reshape education. In her latest work—including The Disengaged Teen, co-authored with journalist Jenny Anderson—Winthrop explores how AI can both enrich and complicate the learning journey, particularly for adolescents.

Rethinking Education with AI

Winthrop believes AI holds tremendous promise to personalize education, making learning more adaptive, engaging, and student-centered. But she’s equally clear-eyed about the risks. In a Brookings article, she advocates for a “minimalist mindset” when introducing AI into classrooms. That means using technology with intention, ensuring it supports—not supplants—human relationships and social-emotional learning.

Why we need a minimalist mindset when it comes to AI and tech use for young peopleRebecca Winthrop proposes that we all take a minimalist approach to using AI, particularly when interacting with young people in our lives.BrookingsSee More

The Disengaged Teen: Mapping the Landscape of Student Engagement

In The Disengaged Teen, Winthrop and Anderson identify four types of student engagement that educators and parents frequently encounter:

  • Resisters – Students who push back, often driven by feelings of inadequacy or irrelevance.
  • Passengers – Learners who coast, disconnected from purpose or passion.
  • Achievers – High performers who tie their self-worth to academic success, risking burnout.
  • Explorers – Curious and intrinsically motivated students, engaged in learning for its own sake.

The book offers practical strategies to help all learners move toward becoming Explorers—by nurturing curiosity, confidence, and self-awareness.

Equity in the Age of AI: Who Gets Left Behind?

As AI becomes more embedded in education systems, Winthrop warns of widening inequities. Through her leadership of the Brookings Global Task Force on AI in Education, she and her colleagues use “premortem” exercises to anticipate potential harms before they happen. Their goal? To ensure AI becomes a force for inclusion and opportunity, not division.

What Parents and Educators Can Do

Winthrop encourages parents to talk openly with their children about AI—not just how it works, but how it might shape their thinking and choices. She urges educators to approach AI as a complement to, not a replacement for, the deeply human aspects of teaching: empathy, curiosity, and connection.

Watch the Conversation

For deeper insight into Rebecca Winthrop’s perspective on AI and education, watch her full interview here:

Key Takeaways

  • AI can personalize learning, but must be integrated mindfully.
  • Student disengagement comes in many forms—each requires a tailored approach.
  • Equity must be central to any AI-driven educational reform.
  • Human connection and emotional intelligence remain irreplaceable in learning.

Looking to stay ahead in the evolving AI landscape? Join the Imbila community to access insights, tools, and conversations that matter.