To ban, or not to ban? Hong Kong schools have the autonomy to determine mobile-phone-usage policies based on their specific circumstances and on guidelines provided by the Education Bureau. This flexibility presents a valuable opportunity for schools in the city to leverage artificial-intelligence-enabled educational tools to enhance students’ learning experiences.

Since the United Nations advocated a ban on cellphones in schools in 2023, several places, including Australia, Brazil, France, and the Netherlands, have banned mobile-phone usage in schools. Primary and secondary school students on the Chinese mainland are barred from bringing mobile phones to school.

However, Hong Kong does not have a centralized ban, allowing each school to set its own policy, which can help students improve learning efficiency.

The debate over banning cellphones in schools is widespread. In the United States, 70 percent of parents support prohibiting cellphone use during class, but over half believe students should be allowed to use their phones during recess. Also, some parents oppose cellphone bans because of concerns about contacting their children in emergencies.

The primary reasons for banning cellphones in schools include reducing distractions, improving learning, enhancing mental health, and reducing cyberbullying. In 2021, the US surgeon general reported a 40 percent increase in persistent feelings of hopelessness and a 36 percent rise in high school students’ considering suicide from 2009-19. These findings suggest potential benefits of banning cellphones in schools but proving a causal relationship is challenging because of limited access to detailed user data from social media companies.

Recent research offers mixed results. A study published in the journal Nature Communications found that increased social media use led to lower life satisfaction among girls aged 11-13 and boys aged 14-15. However, the impact of banning phones in schools remains unclear. Another study found no difference in mental well-being between students in schools with restrictive smartphone policies and those with relaxed policies. Therefore, the perceived benefits of banning cell phones in schools are inconclusive.

As an educator, I have observed that students are often distracted by cellphone usage during class discussions, which can impede learning. However, a complete ban on cellphones may not yield the desired benefits. Instead, it is more constructive to develop sessions or curricula that involve cellphones, tablets, or computers. This approach can make the learning environment mimic the work environment, where workers learn and work using different devices and human interactions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we encouraged students to use the “raise hand” and the “chat” features to engage with their classmates. By creating a learning environment that mimics real life, we can prepare our students to learn and work with digital devices as they enter a university or join the workforce.

Allowing students to use cellphones, tablets, or computers in an interactive learning environment can enhance their learning with AI-powered tools. For instance, in January, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology launched an initiative to transform English-language education for secondary school students. This initiative combines the Global English curriculum with AI and virtual reality technologies to tailor instruction to students’ needs.

As Hong Kong lacks sufficient native English-speaking teachers, AI and VR allow students to interact with “virtual” native speakers to practice their English skills.

With advances in AI, many new AI-powered tools are available on cellphones. For example, DeepSeek AI is a free mobile app that uses the DeepSeek-V3 model to answer questions and help with research and productivity. DeepSeek can serve as a virtual tutor to help students solve problems. While there is concern that students might use these tools to do their homework quickly without learning, many students already use AI tools for various tasks.

Banning AI in school is unrealistic and difficult to verify. Instead, I ask students to show me their original draft before generating the AI-powered solution. I grade their input prompt and their refinement of the AI-generated solution. This practice motivates students to learn how to learn with AI, work with AI, and leverage AI to develop better solutions.

Instead of banning cellphones and AI in schools, we should incorporate these technologies into our curricula to better prepare students for the AI-ready workforce. In February, California State University announced its plan to provide AI tools and training to all 460,000 students and 63,000 faculty and staff. This initiative involves a public-private partnership with leading tech companies like Adobe, Alphabet (the parent holding company of Google), IBM, Intel, LinkedIn, Microsoft, OpenAI, and the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom, aiming to create an AI-empowered higher education system with unprecedented scale and impact.

As the debate on banning cellphones in schools continues, it is essential to consider the potential benefits of embracing smartphones and AI-enabled educational tools. By incorporating these technologies into the learning curricula, schools in Hong Kong can better prepare students for the AI-ready workforce of the future.

Instead of fighting against technology in education, we should embrace it, leverage it, and exploit it to enhance the learning experience and equip students in Hong Kong with the skills they need to succeed in the AI era.

The author is a distinguished professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.