aiEDU Supports New Bill Promoting Accessible AI Literacy Education
Artificial intelligence is already rapidly reshaping the ways we learn and work, with major implications for our daily lives and the global economy as a whole. In order for today’s students to thrive in a future driven by AI, they must learn foundational AI literacy skills — starting now.
aiEDU is proud to be a named supporter of the AI Literacy Act, an important piece of legislation introduced by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) in December and already hailed as one of the AI news stories to watch in 2024. The bill’s goals closely align with our own: to define AI literacy, empower educators and make AI education accessible to all.
“By ensuring that AI literacy is at the heart of our digital literacy program, we’re ensuring that we can not only mitigate the risk of AI but seize the opportunity it creates to help improve the way we learn and the way we work,” Rep. Blunt Rochester said in a statement.
The AI Literacy Act proposes a comprehensive approach to integrating AI education into the fabric of digital literacy. It proposes grants to empower teachers with AI literacy training and professional development, and advocates for the creation of hands-on AI learning experiences, ensuring that students engage with new technologies firsthand.
One of the bill’s key strengths is its commitment to bridging the digital divide. It identifies the need to address disparities in exposure to AI knowledge and ensure that students from diverse backgrounds — including rural school districts with lack of consistent broadband access — can explore AI safely and effectively.
“With AI's growing role in consumer products and the economy, these practical literacy initiatives empower more inclusive participation and innovation,” said Christian Pinedo, chief of staff at aiEDU. “We applaud the goal of giving Americans the tools to understand this transformative technology.”
As the bill release notes, “adoption of AI has more than doubled since 2017, and the average number of AI capabilities that organizations use doubled between 2018 and 2022. Americans of every age, in every district, and from every background will be impacted by AI, and therefore need AI literacy — an understanding of basic AI principles and applications, the skills to recognize when AI is employed, and awareness of its limits.”
This bill serves as an important step toward equipping our society with the essential tools to understand and harness the potential of AI. Through collaborative efforts with educators and school districts across the country and supporting impactful policy like the AI Literacy Act, aiEDU continues to pave the way for a future where everyone is empowered to thrive in an AI-driven world.
