Amid the recent AI boom, proponents of the technology have compared its speedy expansion — and concerns that it could take jobs from humans — to the rise of the internet in the 1990s. But as the capability of artificial intelligence evolves and ethical and environmental concerns surrounding the tech stew, it’s clear these discussions won’t be going away anytime soon.
Leaders in Tennessee are beginning to embrace AI in the education space. At the college level, local universities continue to amend and adopt AI-usage policies for students, faculty and staff. Local professors have initiated use of generative AI software like ChatGPT in the classroom — a way of introducing students to the technology, they say, so students can understand its advantages and disadvantages. Many other educators and university administrators have pushed for students and faculty to become AI-literate, warning that those who refuse to learn the technology will be left behind.
When it comes to younger students, Vanderbilt University researchers are examining how children interact with AI at school. Some of those researchers are pushing for more AI-related curriculum, starting as early as elementary school. During last year’s state legislative session, the Teen Social Media and Internet Safety Act passed with bipartisan support, requiring the Tennessee Department of Education to create middle and high school curriculum on a range of online activities, including the evaluation of AI-generated content. Ahead of this year’s session, state Rep. Andrew Farmer (R-Sevierville) has introduced a bill that would require schools to provide instruction on the access, utilization and evaluation of AI tools. The bill will likely spark discussion among the Tennessee General Assembly, which gavels in this month.
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The use of AI at the administrative level is also on the table as lawmakers gear up to debate legislation. During an October meeting of the state’s Advisory Committee on Innovations in K-12 Education, state Rep. Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) suggested that AI be used to speed up the grading process for the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, the end-of-year assessment administered to the state’s public school students. Seemingly aware of the potential for error by AI, Cepicky also suggested a state audit of the proposed system.
The Tennessee Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council released an action plan in November, which contends that policy changes welcoming AI need to come swiftly. “AI is no longer theoretical; it is already transforming how government delivers services, how businesses operate, and how Tennesseans work and learn,” the plan reads. “Delay risks ceding competitive advantage and missing opportunities to increase efficiency and improve lives. Strategic investment today in the areas of data readiness, pilot projects, and AI literacy will pay dividends in productivity, cost savings, and citizen satisfaction for decades.”
The plan’s recommendations put the state’s higher-education institutions at the forefront. It recommends AI-related scholarships, apprenticeships and training through the state’s community colleges and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology. It also pushes for the enablement of federal funds to support AI use in education. Additionally, the plan encourages research projects on AI through the current partnership between the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
In line with legislation already proposed by lawmakers, the state’s AI advisory council also recommends that school districts adopt age-appropriate AI curriculum in the classroom that is subject to parental oversight. It also outlines increased AI literacy for students, teachers and administrators as a priority and advocates for a statewide AI literacy framework.
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