What happens when classrooms become laboratories for artificial intelligence? As AI tools find their way into schools, from lesson planning to student assessments, educators and parents are wrestling with how to balance innovation and security.

In this conversation, I sit down with Jurgita Lapienytė, Chief Editor at Cybernews, to unpack how AI adoption in education is reshaping learning, privacy, and the safety of our youngest digital citizens.

Jurgita brings a rare dual perspective as both a technology journalist and a mother. We explore how AI’s growing influence could improve access to knowledge while eroding fundamental cognitive skills if introduced too early or without balance. She compares today’s reliance on AI to the way GPS changed navigation, convenient but potentially disorienting when overused.

 Together, we look at how schools can encourage analog learning before turning to technological shortcuts and why teacher training is crucial for building true tech readiness.

But beneath the excitement lies a darker reality. With 82 percent of K-12 schools hit by cyber incidents in the last 18 months, education is fast becoming one of the most targeted sectors. Jurgita explains how AI is supercharging attacks from phishing to deepfakes and why schools must view data protection as an essential part of innovation rather than an afterthought.

We discuss the growing risks around student data, the ease with which even innocent photos can be exploited, and why privacy policies need a complete rethink before more AI tools enter the classroom.

This episode isn’t about rejecting technology, it’s about using it responsibly. Jurgita’s insights remind us that AI’s value in education depends on how thoughtfully it’s implemented and how prepared we are to protect the people it’s meant to serve.

So what does a secure classroom really look like in the age of AI, and how can schools, policymakers, and parents work together to create one? I’d love to hear your thoughts, how should we balance innovation with safety in our children’s digital future?