A diverse group of school advocacy and ed-tech industry associations urges federal lawmakers to take a more active role in considering important questions of equity, evidence, and ethical practices related to the role of AI in education. I’m looking for it.
In a letter to House and Senate leaders who have focused on artificial intelligence, the groups urge lawmakers to encourage collaboration in schools, just as Congress is seeking to foster collaboration on AI in other industries. It calls for cooperation in promoting cooperation and common policy goals.
Several organizations, led by the EdSAFE AI Alliance and the Software & Information Industry Association, are calling on the House and Senate to convene a dedicated forum dedicated to AI in education.
Their letter follows a series of forums the Senate has held over the past year to address AI policy challenges in other industries, such as the workforce and information technology.
“Many states, school districts, higher education institutions, and private companies are moving forward. [with artificial intelligence]We are committed to addressing many of the potential risks and ensuring that AI is used responsibly,” the letter states. “However, the patchwork could leave many holes, and Congress and the federal government need funding, guidance, and expertise to develop and implement a system that is safe, secure, accessible, responsive, and accountable.” “We have an important role to play in helping states and districts leverage AI in their schools.”
Organizations that signed the letter include the School Networking Consortium, which represents the nation’s chief technology officers; Association of State Educational Technology Directors. Children’s Committee to provide social and emotional learning tools. National Center for Learning Disabilities. National Alliance of Public Charter Schools.
Specifically, the groups will invite Congress to the Insight Forum, an event designed to find areas of agreement on policy issues, develop legislative recommendations, and determine whether further work and research is needed. ” is requested to be held. A key part of these forums is for policymakers to hear from education stakeholders what their needs are and how they can facilitate the development and adoption of responsible AI designed with educators and students in mind. The organizations said that it was important for them to be able to hear directly what they were doing. .
“In addition to the opportunities that AI can have to improve education and accelerate learning, it also addresses risks to privacy, civil rights, discrimination and bias, and the potential to widen existing disparities if not appropriate,” the education organizations said in the letter. He is calling on lawmakers to do the same. ruled. ”
“While many state boards of education have issued guidance, we believe it is worth having a larger national conversation on this, and we are inviting some policymakers from across the education community to join us. I think it’s worth doing.” [U.S.] The Department of Education needs to really focus on this,” Paul Lekas, senior vice president of global public policy at the Software and Information Industry Association, said in an interview.
Lekas said the forum will consider ideas beyond AI best practices (which many organizations and states have proposed) and will address issues such as creating federal grants to promote effective adoption of AI. He said he might consider it.
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Sarah Crook, vice president of education and children’s policy at the Software and Information Industries Association, said education companies want to know where federal policy on AI regulation is headed, and public forums can provide clues. He said there is a possibility that it will be done.
Industry participants also hope that the results of these public forums will help inform how AI will be incorporated into education in the future, meeting educators’ expectations about the evolving technology.
A recent EdWeek Market Brief article cited survey data collected by the EdWeek Research Center to identify educators’ top needs for AI as stronger professional development, strategies to encourage critical thinking in students, and student plagiarism. It turns out that there are guardrails for
“AI has the potential to revolutionize education, and there is a role for the federal government here, and it’s worth exploring what that role is,” Lekas said. “But for that to happen, we need to make sure that legislators understand what is going on, what AI could potentially do for the education sector, and what the risks are.”
