Over 250 CEOs ask states to mandate AI classes for high school graduates

More than 250 CEOs signed a letter last week encouraging states to require artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science courses in school curricula and graduation requirements.

“In the age of AI, we must prepare our children for the future – to be AI creators, not just consumers,” reads the letter. “A basic foundation in computer science and AI is crucial for helping every student thrive in a technology-driven world. Without it, they risk falling behind.”

The “Unlock8” letter, championed by Code.org and signed by companies such as Microsoft, Airbnb and Uber, claims taking one computer science course boosts wages by 8% for all students regardless of their career path and can “unlock $660 billion in economic potential every year for everyday Americans.”

The CEOs’ claims stem from a 2024 report published by the Brookings Institution, which notes 30 states already require high schools to offer computer science classes. Code.org adds that 12 states have actually added computer science as a graduation requirement.

Code.org President Cameron Wilson is advocating for updated graduation requirements, adding the process would ideally require adding artificial intelligence and computer science education for students beginning as young as kindergarten.  

“I think of it as a K-12 experience for students, where they’re learning scaffolded knowledge about computer science throughout,” explained Wilson. 

The CEOs’ letter comes amid announcements from employers in several different fields emphasizing the increasingly important role AI will play in performing job functions moving forward.  

The Food and Drug Administration, for example, announced Thursday it is planning an “aggressive timeline” to implement AI across its centers to save researchers time and effort. In a 2024 earnings call, Google’s CEO also noted that a quarter of all code in the company’s systems is now AI generated. 

Wilson says AI education must go beyond an understanding of what AI is, seeking to also teach students how to implement the tool to accomplish their specific goals. 

“Using the AI technology itself and learning to use it – that’s helpful and useful. But then there’s actually understanding how it works, and then actually using the AI to build and create and solve problems,” he said. 

“Those things fit on a spectrum of knowledge, and I think all of those things sort of fit together for what I consider to be true AI literacy.”