Journalist: Sydni Callaway (OSU)
ORU-517, authored by Rep. Isaiah Osei (ORU) passed the House today with a vote of 47-10. The bill aims to provide guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in public school instruction. The new law states that artificial intelligence is only to be used as an educational tool in certain circumstances, such as when it can be used to enhance instruction. However, it is up to the school districts to provide an outline for the use and governance of artificial intelligence in education.
A main component of this framework was to ensure that teachers who utilize artificial intelligence for educational purposes have the proper training needed. During questions, Osei was asked what the purpose was of having the teachers complete training. “The purpose of training is to show them how to use it ethically, responsibly and effectively,” said Osei.
When speaking about the use of the training for teachers, Osei pointed out the different demographics of educators in Oklahoma. “You have people who’ve been teaching for 40 years and teaching a specific way, and you have teachers that are just fresh out of college teaching in a different way. The purpose of this training is to get everyone trained on those three factors [ethically, responsibly, and effectively] in the same exact way.”
While ultimately it is up to the State Superintendent to develop statewide standards and protocols, the schools are making their own governing policies. “The State Superintendent kind of creates guidelines within these guidelines,” Osei said, describing the intended framework. “I left it up to them [school districts], because I thought they know their body more than a government kind of tithing does, and it just helps them decide on what they want to do.”
Artificial intelligence is a fastly developing technological tool. Setting frameworks within school districts on artificial intelligence will help students and educators learn to use this as a tool properly in the educational world.