On January 14, the House Committee on Education and Workforce held a hearing entitled: “Building an AI-Ready America.” The witnesses included:
- Chaya Nayak: Head of Certifications and Jobs Platform, OpenAI
- Mr. Adeel Khan: Founder & CEO, MagicSchool AI
- Ms. Alexandra Reeve Givens: President & CEO, Center for Democracy & Technology
- Mr. Kevin Frazier: AI Innovation & Law Fellow, University of Texas Law School
The hearing focused on the benefits and drawbacks of AI in both education and the workforce in an effort for policymakers to “meet the moment” of the rapid technological changes of this generation. The ultimate goal of the hearing was for legislators to learn how AI can properly prepare students for future careers, while at the same time considering necessary guardrails in order to protect students and maintain their critical thinking skills.
Throughout the hearing, legislators showed concern with how AI should be taught in school so that students can develop skills that will be required in future jobs. Ms. Nayak addressed the reality that there is a gap in the capability of students with exposure to AI versus students without it. She emphasized that employers are looking for applicants who know how to utilize AI as a tool rather than a shortcut. Further, there was discussion of the fact that teachers are the best avenue to instruct students about ethical use of artificial intelligence in academic and professional work.
In his testimony, Mr. Khan explained that “Teaching responsible AI is a critical part of preparing students for the world they’re growing into. Teachers need support to understand where AI is helpful, where it can fail, and how to supervise its use effectively.”
The witnesses believed strongly that education around AI will increase productivity in the economy if the next generation has the skillset demanded by employers. Some representatives argued that it is crucial that people are not left behind in this age of advancement and education around AI is an essential step in avoiding job displacement.
Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson raised a question about CTE, specifically asking how AI is being used in CTE programs. Mr. Khan responded “in a really powerful way,” highlighting that teachers coming from industry can use AI to build lesson plans in an efficient manner which creates curriculum resources that did not exist before.
A recording of this hearing can be found at https://www.youtube.com/live/RM0aq5ynUiQ.
