Should a 10-year-old use artificial intelligence to solve a mathematics problem? Can a teenager use ChatGPT to improve an essay? What role should AI play in the learning process of college students?These are among the questions addressed by a new resource launched by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Its AI Guidance by Age Matrix examines how artificial intelligence may support or affect learning at different stages of human development.The resource was introduced on November 10, 2026, through Harvard’s Compass Collaborative initiative. It draws on more than 5,000 research publications covering 81 developmental areas and provides information on how the effects of AI may differ according to a learner’s age, developmental needs and the skills being developed.The launch comes as schools and universities continue to work out how AI tools should be used in classrooms, assignments and other learning activities. Research into their long-term effects on student learning is still limited.
What does Harvard’s AI guidance matrix offer?
The AI Guidance by Age Matrix is an interactive resource through which users can explore the possible effects of AI on different aspects of learning.The platform first asks users to identify their role. The available categories include K-12 educators, higher education educators, parents, students, researchers and policymakers. They can then select a developmental area, such as cognitive foundations, creativity, social understanding, relationships, language and literacy, along with the relevant age group.The matrix provides an overview of how AI applications may support or interfere with the development of skills in the selected area. It also includes information on developmental milestones, technology-use guidance and related research.For instance, a teacher looking at cognitive development among children aged 9 to 11 can explore areas such as working memory, sustained attention and the ability to monitor one’s own thinking.The guidance identifies adaptive learning platforms as one application that can support practice by adjusting the difficulty of tasks. It also discusses the role of evaluating AI-generated responses in developing critical thinking.At the same time, the matrix points to possible drawbacks of AI homework tools that provide immediate answers. Such tools may leave students with fewer opportunities to recall information independently and work through problems on their own.
Why does the matrix consider a learner’s age?
The Compass Collaborative initiative seeks to bring research on human development into discussions about the use of artificial intelligence in education. Its work draws on studies from education, psychology and human development.While much of the research included in the matrix was published before the emergence of generative AI, it covers how people acquire knowledge, retain information and develop different skills.The matrix also examines the role of human interaction and independent practice in learning. It considers how different AI applications may affect students’ engagement with teachers and their opportunities to practise skills without relying on technology.
Harvard plans to update the resource as research expands
The Harvard Graduate School of Education has described the matrix as a developing resource, with updates planned as more research becomes available on artificial intelligence and human development.Its launch comes at a time when educational institutions are taking different approaches to AI. Some schools and universities have introduced the technology into classroom activities, while others have restricted its use or allowed individual educators to decide how it should be incorporated.The AI Guidance by Age Matrix is available through Harvard’s Compass Collaborative platform: https://compass.gse.harvard.edu/explore/