The White House has taken a significant step towards integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the education system through a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump on April 23. The order, titled ‘Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth,’ aims to ensure the United States remains a global leader in AI technology by promoting ‘appropriate integration of AI into education.’
Key Objectives of the Executive Order
The directive focuses on teaching students and training teachers to use AI to improve education outcomes. It emphasizes that using AI in schools ‘demystifies this powerful technology but also sparks curiosity and creativity, preparing students to become active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future.’ The order outlines several key objectives, including:
- Establishing a White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education
- Creating public-private partnerships to develop online resources for teaching AI literacy to K-12 students
- Identifying federal spending mechanisms to improve education outcomes through AI
- Prioritizing federal spending for professional development to help teachers instruct students about AI
Implementation and Challenges
The task force is expected to ‘promptly’ announce public-private partnerships with AI industry groups, nonprofits, and academic institutions. The secretary of education is tasked with identifying federal spending mechanisms to support AI-based teaching resources, higher education advising, and intensive tutoring. The order also calls for creating registered apprenticeships related to AI, establishing a Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge for students, and enabling high school students to take AI courses through dual enrollment at colleges.
While some education leaders support the broad goals of the order, they also express concerns about implementation. Beth Rabbitt, CEO of The Learning Accelerator, notes that generative AI has the potential to change the world for the better but also poses risks if not handled carefully. ‘It’s incredibly important that we as educators help kids understand how it works and use it well in their lives, but avoid the harms,’ she emphasizes.
Balancing Opportunities and Risks
The executive order comes at a time when there are concerns about the potential misuse of AI in education, including cheating, bias, and data breaches. Rabbitt points out that the Trump administration has rolled back regulations governing the AI marketplace, and the new order lacks harm-mitigation requirements. ‘There seems to be a lot more work we need to do to make sure the tools we are giving to our children are safe and can support their learning,’ she says.
Despite these challenges, many educators are already exploring positive ways to use AI. For example, the School Teams AI Collaborative is experimenting with AI-enabled instruction, such as using AI to offer writing feedback and teach students about civics. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, president and CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, highlights the potential of AI to enhance teacher training, particularly for new teachers who need professional development on the spot.
Looking Ahead
To ensure positive outcomes, policymakers and educators must plan for a realistic pace of change, allowing time to test strategic applications of AI in education. ‘The worst thing we can do is have people feel forced, and then throw a bunch of tools into classrooms that aren’t ready for them,’ Rabbitt warns, drawing parallels with the challenges faced during the pandemic. By taking a thoughtful and strategic approach, the education sector can harness the potential of AI to improve education outcomes for all students.
