University of Washington Ends AI Study Involving Preschool Cameras

University of Washington researchers ended a plan to record preschool classrooms for AI training after parents raised privacy concerns, according to an investigative report by 404 Media. The study would have asked preschool teachers to use wearable or fixed cameras to capture student behavior during normal daily routines.

Recordings were planned for up to 150 minutes per visit, with a maximum of four visits in one month.

Researchers stated that student faces would have been blurred and names removed from audio. Participation was described as voluntary, though parents would have needed to actively withdraw to avoid recording. One parent told 404 Media she was troubled by the potential use of her child's likeness in AI tools and questioned whether families could give informed consent.

She noted that forms were not provided in languages other than English.

University spokesperson David Rey said the study was terminated after early parent responses. He stated that classroom participation required parental permission for all children and that any classroom without full consent would have been excluded. University spokesperson Jackson Holtz told 404 Media that all programs are being notified the study is now terminated.

The university removed the study description from its website after 404 Media requested comment. The study was intended to develop AI tools to assess classroom interaction quality, according to documents shared with parents.