President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Wednesday aimed at bringing artificial intelligence into K-12 schools, according to a senior administration official.
The directive, which Trump is set to sign from the Oval Office, instructs the U.S. Education and Labor Departments to create opportunities for high school students to take AI courses and certification programs, and to work with states to promote AI education, according to a White House summary of the order reviewed by USA TODAY.
Trump’s action will also direct the Education Department to favor the application of AI in discretionary grant programs for teacher training, the National Science Foundation to prioritize research on the use of AI in education, and the Labor Department to expand AI-related apprenticeships.
The order ‒ one of seven education-related directives Trump is expected to sign April 23 ‒ underscores an area of bipartisan concern: how best to incorporate AI into teaching. Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed fears about American students falling behind other nations, particularly China, as the technology becomes more advanced and integrated into the workforce.
