California offers little oversight for classroom AI, prioritizes ‘social justice and equity’
Multiple California school districts have reportedly signed contracts to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to perform tasks such as developing assignments and grading, but critics worry about a…
Multiple California school districts have reportedly signed contracts to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to perform tasks such as developing assignments and grading, but critics worry about a lack of oversight.
Katherine Goyette, a computer science coordinator for the California Department of Education (CDE), says the state does not keep track of which districts use AI in the classroom or regulate how the technology is used.
By contrast, other California state agencies are required to designate a staff member to monitor how the departments use generative AI and submit contracts involving generative AI companies to the Department of Technology before signing.
What the state has done for educators is published guidance encouraging teachers to use AI to “promote social justice and equity” among students.
“CDE encourages educators to approach AI with a lens of equity,” states a resource provided by the CDE. “As educators and students learn about potential inaccuracies, bias, and social impacts of AI, they build capacity to promote ethical use of technology.”
A new poll commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation has corroborated reports that teachers are growing increasingly comfortable using AI to complete their work.
According to the report, only 20% of teachers surveyed restrict or ban their students from using AI to complete or assist with school assignments. Most teachers are in favor of, or at least permissive of, students’ use of AI. Furthermore, the poll found that roughly 50% of both teachers and students employ the use of AI to complete work and school-related assignments.
California’s state senate has passed a bill on AI governance, SB 1047, but critics say it will give more power to a few large AI companies.
“While presented as an attempt at responsible AI governance, SB 1047, if enacted, would help powerful firms stifle competition,” writes Jake Denton, a research associate with the Heritage Foundation’s Tech Policy Center. “In practice, the bill creates insurmountable barriers to entry, pushing potential challengers out of the market and entrenching the dominance of a few tech giants.”
