The Findings from Interviews
Over the past month of April, 2026, I have conducted a series of interviews, with four fifth grade students at Randall Elementary in Madison , Wi, two fifth grade teachers at Randall, the principle, and the principle of Kohler Schools, in Kohler, Wi. The questions that I asked them are:
“How have you seen AI impacting you?” Starting with a question to see what they know about AI. Then, “How have your teachers been educating you about AI?” and then, “Do you know that AI is harmful for the environment and especially in Wisconsin?” -For students
“In your training for teaching, how has the school taught you how to go about teaching AI?”, “Have you ever been directed not to teach about how AI impacts the environment?”, “Do you think that AI and environmental issues should be taught to students, no matter age?” -For teachers
Here are some replies that stuck out to me and why they are important…
To “how is it impacting your life?”
Fifth grader Amalie expressed, “AI is everywhere I go now. I do not really understand it, and it scares me that robots are taking over” (Amalie R).
Zoe S reply to "how have teachers been informing you about AI?"
From Zoe S, a fifth grader, “My teacher goes to an AI school called Champion AI. She once said she knows it is bad but still uses it. She does not really talk about AI, like it is not in our assignments but my library teacher is always talking to us about it.” (Zoe, S).
From Max M at Randall, “I had no idea about these data places. My grandparents live on Lake Michigan, I wonder if they know” and in reply to how school has taught AI he stated, “I wish they told us about the background of it. All we know is that it does what you ask. Not that it harms the environment every time you use it” (Max, M).
Teacher Dana Kampman, “ “I think AI can be a beautiful thing if it is taught right. All I see nowadays is teachers using it as a cheat to avoid doing their work. I am from the Milwaukee area, and what is happening to the land there is disgusting. Every time I drive by a center, my body shakes. Students need to know what is happening, parents need to know, and schools need to start enforcing it”.
While AI is widely recognized in today’s world, its environmental impacts are often misunderstood, overlooked, or not taught in depth within education. Students were familiar with AI through social media and school discussions, especially in library class rather than in science or history, but most had little to no knowledge of how AI affects the environment or their local communities.
For example, one student explained that they see AI “everywhere” but had “never known about the environmental issues with it,” showing a clear gap between use and understanding. After our conversation, I asked, “What have you learned about AI’s environmental effects?” and they responded, “I learned from my dad.” This highlights how much of their knowledge comes from informal sources rather than school.
By examining the connections between AI and climate change, schools have an opportunity to better educate young people and begin shaping how they understand technology from an early age. Concepts like these can be introduced as early as fifth grade, when students are already forming opinions and habits around technology use.
Teachers, on the other hand, expressed mixed perspectives. Some acknowledged that AI can be harmful and believed students should be more informed, while others felt that the benefits of AI in education outweigh environmental concerns and did not see a need to teach about its impacts.
Overall, these findings suggest that there is no consistent approach to teaching about AI in Wisconsin schools, and that both students and educators lack a full understanding of the environmental consequences associated with AI infrastructure. This gap highlights the need for more structured education and open discussion around the real-world impacts of AI.
Ask your kids about AI, they are not too young to care.