On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into American classrooms.
“The basic idea of this executive order is to ensure that we properly train the workforce of the future by ensuring that school children, young Americans, are adequately trained in AI tools, so that they can be competitive in the economy years from now into the future, as AI becomes a bigger and bigger deal,” Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary, told reporters.
Although the exact text of the order has not been released, The Washington Post reported on a pre-decisional draft that stated the president’s desire for schools to collaborate with the private sector to integrate technology into school programs.
The order would direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to prioritize federal funds for training teachers and administrators on how to use AI to their advantage while also incorporating it into all subjects.
“AI is where it seems to be at,” Trump said during the signing ceremony.
According to the Post, an AI education task force will be established to encourage federal agencies to collaborate with the private sector in order to teach students “foundational AI literacy and critical thinking skills.”
AI has taken classrooms by storm in recent years, bringing both benefits and risks to educators and students.
Schools have already begun to collaborate with organizations to teach educators and students how to use AI responsibly.
The disadvantages of the technology include concerns about cheating and bullying, as well as ethical concerns.
In January, Trump signed an executive order that removed some regulations from the AI industry and increased investment in AI data centers.
