16-State Commission on AI and Education Established

  • By Kate Lucariello
  • 02/21/24

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has announced the establishment of the Commission on Artificial Intelligence and Education, convening "leaders in education and business to chart a course for how AI is used in classrooms and how to prepare a workforce that is being transformed by technology." South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and West Virginia's Marshall University President Brad D. Smith will co-chair the two-year commission.

SREB's 16 states will provide commission members from governors' offices, education and workforce agencies, K–12 and postsecondary faculty, business executives, managers, and leaders. A list of commissioners, information about the first meeting, and responsibilities of its committees will be announced in the coming weeks, SREB said in a release.

The commission's first meeting, to be held in March 2024, will be to review research and industry data and hear from education experts. It will then make focus recommendations for the commission to tackle in these general areas:

  • AI in teaching and learning in K–12 and postsecondary institutions;
  • Establishing AI policies in K–12 schools, colleges, and universities; and
  • How to prepare students for careers involving AI.

"We need to be proactive now, because AI is fundamentally shifting the classroom and the workplace," said Stephen L. Pruitt, SREB president. "The commission will bring us together for a roadmap on preparing students for this world in which AI is a reality."

SREB is a non-partisan, nonprofit interstate compact headquartered in Atlanta. It serves Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Its work is funded by appropriations from its member states, contracts and grants from foundations, and from local, state and federal agencies.

Visit SREB's ed tech page to learn more about its work in this field.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

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