    [House Hearing, 119 Congress]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                        FROM CHALKBOARDS TO CHATBOTS: THE
                         IMPACT OF AI ON K	12 EDUCATION

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   Before The

                       SUBCOMMITTEE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD,
                      ELEMENTARY, AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

                                     OF THE

                      COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE
                         U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                 HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, APRIL 1, 2025

                                   __________

                                Serial No. 119-6

                                   __________

        Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and Workforce

    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

            Available via: edworkforce.house.gov or www.govinfo.gov

                                    __________

                       U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    61-537 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 2025

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE

                        TIM WALBERG, Michigan, Chairman

    JOE WILSON, South Carolina           ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT,
    VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina            Virginia,
    GLENN THOMPSON, Pennsylvania           Ranking Member
    GLENN GROTHMAN, Wisconsin            JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut
    ELISE M. STEFANIK, New York          FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida
    RICK W. ALLEN, Georgia               SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon
    JAMES COMER, Kentucky                MARK TAKANO, California
    BURGESS OWENS, Utah                  ALMA S. ADAMS, North Carolina
    LISA C. McCLAIN, Michigan            MARK DeSAULNIER, California
    MARY E. MILLER, Illinois             DONALD NORCROSS, New Jersey
    JULIA LETLOW, Louisiana              LUCY McBATH, Georgia
    KEVIN KILEY, California              JAHANA HAYES, Connecticut
    MICHAEL A. RULLI, Ohio               ILHAN OMAR, Minnesota
    JAMES C. MOYLAN, Guam                HALEY M. STEVENS, Michigan
    ROBERT F. ONDER, Jr., Missouri       GREG CASAR, Texas
    RYAN MACKENZIE, Pennsylvania         SUMMER L. LEE, Pennsylvania
    MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER, Washington      JOHN W. MANNION, New York
    MARK HARRIS, North Carolina          VACANCY
    MARK B. MESSMER, Indiana
    VACANCY

                         R.J. Laukitis, Staff Director
                  Veronique Pluviose, Minority Staff Director
                                     ------

      SUBCOMMITTEE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD, ELEMENTARY, AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

                       KEVIN KILEY, California, Chairman

    MARY E. MILLER, Illinois             SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon,
    GLENN THOMPSON, Pennsylvania           Ranking Member
    BURGESS OWENS, Utah                  JAHANA HAYES, Connecticut
    MICHAEL A. RULLI, Ohio               SUMMER L. LEE, Pennsylvania
    JAMES C. MOYLAN, Guam                JOHN W. MANNION, New York
    RYAN MACKENZIE, Pennsylvania         FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida
    MARK HARRIS, North Carolina          ALMA S. ADAMS, North Carolina
    MARK B. MESSMER, Indiana

                            C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

    Hearing held on April 1, 2025....................................     1

                               OPENING STATEMENTS

        Kiley, Hon. Kevin, Chairman, Subcommittee on Early Childhood,
          Elementary, and Secondary Education........................     1
            Prepared statement of....................................     4
        Bonamici, Hon. Suzanne, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Early
          Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.............     7
            Prepared statement of....................................    10

                                   WITNESSES

        Dobrin, Dr. Sid, Chair, Department of English, University of
          Florida....................................................    13
            Prepared statement of....................................    15
        Rafal-Baer, Dr. Julia, CEO, ILO Group........................    20
            Prepared statement of....................................    22
        Mote, Erin, CEO, InnovateEDU/EDSAFE AI Alliance..............    25
            Prepared statement of....................................    28
        Chism, Chris, Superintendent, Pearl Public School District...    43
            Prepared statement of....................................    45

                            QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD

        Responses to questions submitted for the record by:
            Ms. Erin Mote............................................    84

                       FROM CHALKBOARDS TO CHATBOTS: THE
                         IMPACT OF AI ON K-12 EDUCATION

                                  ----------

                             Tuesday, April 1, 2025

                      House of Representatives,
      Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and
                                   Secondary Education,
                          Committee on Education and Workforce,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:16 a.m., in
    Room 2175, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Kevin Kiley
    (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.
        Present: Representatives Kiley, Miller, Thompson, Owens,
    Rulli, Moylan, Mackenzie, Harris, Messmer, Bonamici, Hayes,
    Lee, Mannion, Wilson, Adams, and Scott.
        Staff present: Vlad Cerga, Director of Information
    Technology; Maren Emmerson, Intern; Dara Gardner, Einstein
    Fellow; Amy Raaf Jones, Director of Education and Human
    Services Policy; Libby Kearns, Press Assistant; Campbell Ladd,
    Clerk; R.J. Laukitis, Staff Director; Danny Marca, Director of
    Information Technology; R.J. Martin, Professional Staff Member;
    Audra McGeorge, Communications Director; Eli Mitchell,
    Legislative Assistant; Ethan Pann, Deputy Press Secretary and
    Digital Director; Kane Riddell, Staff Assistant; Sara
    Robertson, Press Secretary; Brad Thomas, Deputy Director of
    Education and Human Services Policy; Ann Vogel, Director of
    Operations; Ali Watson, Director of Member Services; James
    Whittaker, General Counsel; Ellie Berenson, Minority Press
    Assistant; Bryan Gonzalez, Minority Grad Intern; Rashage Green,
    Minority Director of Education Policy & Counsel; Christian
    Haines, Minority General Counsel; Emanual Kimble, Minority
    Professional Staff; Raiyana Malone, Minority Press Secretary;
    Ben Noenickx, Minority Intern; Eleazar Padilla, Minority Staff
    Assistant; Veronique Pluviose, Minority Staff Director.
        Chairman Kiley. The Subcommittee on Early Childhood,
    Elementary, and Secondary Education will come to order. I note
    that a quorum is present. Without objection, the Chair is
    authorized to call a recess at any time.
        Good morning. Artificial intelligence has been advancing at
    such a rapid pace in recent months, weeks, and days, that by
    the end of this hearing anything we say this morning will
    probably be outdated. That is perhaps, a slight exaggeration,
    but it is the essential reality. Leading labs continue to put
    out new models each week, shattering benchmarks, demonstrating
    incredible capabilities and pointing toward still greater
    advancements ahead.
        Indeed, there does not appear to be any limit to this
    progress in sight. This rapid acceleration toward the future
    has brought a host of anxieties, not least of which is
    geopolitical. At this moment America holds a clear, but
    precarious AI advantage. There are also concerns related to
    jobs, privacy, safety, control and more broadly, a sense of
    uncertainty about the social changes that come and break
    through the wall herald, and what our world will look like for
    the next generation.
        As understandable and important as these concerns are, the
    bigger picture of one of opportunity, and a truly limitless
    sense of possibility. Even with the state-of-the-art, as it now
    exists, let alone what it will be next week, next year, or a
    decade from now, we suddenly have tools to address many long-
    standing challenges in new and powerful ways.
        Education is one very clear example of that. I am a former
    high school teacher, and I believe one of the greatest failings
    in our country's modern history is the way millions of kids
    have been deprived of a decent education. Our school system has
    shameful achievement gaps, nowhere more so than in my home
    State of California.
        Open to the neighborhood they were born into, far too many
    young people in this country are not receiving the education
    they deserve and are robbed of the opportunities that a quality
    education provides. Meanwhile, the educational attainment of
    the country has a whole has been on a sharp decline.
        AI can change that. It has the potential to give every
    child in America a richer educational experience than any child
    in America had just a few years ago. It can give every teacher
    in America a greater ability to reach students than any teacher
    did in the past.
        It can empower parents to follow their child's progress and
    guide it accordingly. For a glimpse of this potential, here is
    a short video.
        [Video played.]
        At the most basic level, AI tools like Khanmigo from the
    Khan Academy give every child access to a world class tutor in
    any subject. This is no small matter. Studies have shown that
    just a hear of high dosage tutoring can add up to a full 2
    years worth of additional learning gains. This is a very
    special kind of tutor, one that is available any time of the
    day for unlimited amounts of time, and that cannot be stumped
    by any question.
        It is a tutor that is thoroughly familiar with the
    student's strengths and weaknesses and baseline knowledge,
    enabling personalized instruction that compels critical
    thinking without giving away answers. Perhaps best of all, this
    tutor is low-cost or free.
        For most of history, access to this kind of personalized
    instruction would have been completely unthinkable, yet, AI has
    made it commonplace. These tools can customize the learning
    experience for each student, adapting their content, pace and
    learning style to the student's performance and preferences.
        They can also bring learning to life in new and dynamic
    ways. Learning physics from Albert Einstein or engaging with a
    fictional character when studying work of literature. We are
    already seeing AI widely adopted by students in limited ways.
    Nearly 50 percent K12 students use ChatGPT at least weekly.
        Of the students who use AI, 35 percent use it to summarize
    information, 32 percent to generate ideas for assignments, and
    26 percent to get initial feedback on their work. The question
    is not whether students will use AI, that is already happening.
    Rather, the question is how schools can support students in
    using AI responsibly and in unlocking its full potential to
    advance student achievement.
        It is not just students who stand to benefit. AI can
    empower teachers and school leaders to fulfill their vision for
    their classrooms, and to connect with students in the highest
    impact ways. AI tools can help with tasks like lesson planning
    and grading and can free teachers to focus on the aspects of
    education that only a caring human can provide.
        A recent McKinsey analysis found that AI can save teachers
    up to 13 hours per week. There are also, of course, risks when
    it comes to AI usage in the classroom. Recent studies show the
    ready availability of Chatbots has proven an irresistible
    temptation to many students.
        Nearly 40 percent of middle and high school students
    admitted they used AI without teacher's permission to complete
    assignments, according to a survey last year. Now, while
    outright cheating is certainly a concern, the bigger challenge
    is to be vigilant in assuring AI never becomes a shortcut to
    avoid engaging in critical thinking, formulating original ideas
    and persevering through challenging content.
        Student privacy is also a crucial issue. District leaders
    must be thoughtful about the data that gets collected and
    vigilant about securing that data. We will hear testimony today
    about how district leaders and administrators can use AI
    responsibility without endangering students' rights.
        Finally, we must be mindful of excessively absorbing
    students into digital worlds. The negative effects of smart
    phone use for you people have become impossible to deny. The
    last thing we want to do is compound this problem. I suspect
    the most successful approaches to AI in the classroom will
    assure human interaction remains fundamental to the educational
    experience.
        None of this, I should add, is a call for new mandates at
    the Federal level. Quite the contrary, education is
    fundamentally a State and local issue, and the best education
    solutions emerge when school leaders and teachers are given
    flexibility to do what is best for their students.
        This is especially true given the infinite variety of ways
    AI can be utilized in the classroom, and the rapid pace at
    which it continues to evolve. The purpose of today's hearing is
    to cast light on the enormous potential that exists. We can
    continue to highlight outstanding examples of AI in education
    throughout the country, so best practices can be shared.
        We have an excellent witness panel assembled to give us
    perspective on all of these questions, and I am looking forward
    very much to hearing their thoughts. With that, I will yield to
    the Ranking Member for an opening statement.
        [The statement of Chairman Kiley follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Bonamici. Thank you, Chairman Kiley, and thank you to
    the witnesses for being here today. I am encouraged that all of
    the witnesses submitted testimony that recognizes the
    opportunities and the challenges of artificial intelligence in
    K12 education.
        We are at a pivotal time in education, and the path we
    choose will determine whether we can equip students and
    educators with the tools, the critical thinking skills, and the
    knowledge they need to succeed in an ever evolving,
    technologically driven world.
        Artificial intelligence is not in the distant future; it is
    in our schools right now. It is shaping how students are
    educated, and how they learn. Although this is an exciting
    prospect, it also presents significant challenges, particularly
    regarding equity and regulation.
        Without a doubt, dismantling the Department of Education
    will exacerbate inequities, and set us back as a Nation. The
    Department of Education's not just a building. Through its
    programs it plays a pivotal role in closing achievement gaps,
    and helping to meet the goals that all students, including
    those in rural and low-income communities, and including
    students with disabilities, have an opportunity to access high-
    quality public education.
        It is the Department of Education that helps level the
    playing field and provides critical resources that many
    districts are not able to afford without Federal funding. Title
    I for example, provides resources for schools with high
    concentration of poverty, a lifeline for the schools that need
    it the most. In fact, every witness here today mentioned in
    their testimony the importance of access, which is one of the
    main points of Title I.
        It is unclear what will happen to Title I, but without
    experienced implementation at the Department of Education, it
    is likely, assuming it survives, we will see support severely
    cut or limited, and the prospect of waivers to block grant
    Title I, which some republicans are advocating for is troubling
    because without accountability systems we do not know if the
    dollars will go to the highest need schools, resulting in
    deepening inequities and academic gaps.
        It is also important to mention that the Trump
    administration cut funding for a significant portion of Federal
    grants that support education, educator professional
    development, including the teacher quality partnership.
    Thankfully, Federal Courts have ordered the administration to
    restore these funds.
        Professional development opportunities are crucial to equip
    educators with evidence-based teaching practices, as well as
    prepare educators on AI technologies and other necessary skills
    needed to educate students for the 21st Century.
        It is no question that a loss of funding, or inconsistent
    funding, or delayed funding disbursement, will
    disproportionately harm struggling low-income and rural schools
    and students. Without a robust and equitable funding system
    with a strong accountability framework the digital divide will
    widen.
        Technology disparities will mirror existing inequalities,
    and that will leave vulnerable students with fewer
    opportunities to benefit from AI integrated learning
    environments, or to learn proper guardrails surrounding the use
    of AI. During the 1990's and early 2000's as technology was
    rapidly evolving, it was the Department of Education that led
    efforts to close the digital divide.
        Without Federal leadership we would have seen even greater
    inequities. Unfortunately, today the Department of Education is
    still reeling from a significant reduction in force, including
    the elimination of the Office of Educational Technology. This
    office was instrumental in guiding schools on the safe and
    ethical integration of new technologies like AI, providing
    resources on data security and best practices.
        With the OET gone, we risk losing schools--leaving schools
    and students unprepared for AI's opportunities and challenges.
    Related to the topic today, the massive chainsaw cuts to IES,
    the Institute of Education Sciences is absurd. Research helps
    educators and policymakers make good decisions, and that is not
    something local school districts and states can easily
    replicate.
        Several states, including Virginia, California and my home
    State of Oregon, have started developing guidance and policies
    about AI use in the classroom. Without the Department of
    Education's leadership, states are left to navigate this
    complex landscape on their own, which again creates
    inconsistencies and exacerbates achievement gaps.
        We recognize that local schools and districts have the
    authority already to determine local decisions, whether it be
    teacher standards, class size, curriculum, that is local. It is
    this Federal investment in research and leadership that makes a
    difference.
        As we grapple with the role of AI in education, we must
    equip students with the skills necessary to survive in today's
    society and economy. The jobs of tomorrow will demand
    proficiency in technology, including in AI.
        Without proper education of students, especially those from
    underfunded districts, will find themselves at a disadvantage,
    unable to compete in an increasingly globalized economy. This
    issue is not just about access to technology. It is how we use
    the technology.
        As AI is integrated into classrooms, we must be diligent,
    so that it does not reinforce existing biases, or create new
    ones. With the Department staffing cuts and an overwhelming
    caseload, The Office for Civil Rights in the Department of
    Education, which addresses discrimination in schools through
    investigation.
        They are struggling to keep up. We need Federal leadership
    and research to help guide the use of AI in schools, so all
    students, regardless of their ZIP Code, income, race, have the
    opportunity to learn, grow and thrive in this new digital age.
        That is clear from the testimony of the witnesses today,
    and it is also clear that eliminating the Department of
    Education, and for that matter, the National Science
    Foundation, and other research-based entities is antithetical
    to that goal.
        As we move forward, Democrats are committed to providing
    equal access to public education for all students. We are
    looking for reasonable policymakers from either side of the
    aisle to join us in strengthening local schools by preserving
    these important Federal investments in education and education
    research.
        This should not be a partisan issue. It affects every
    student, teacher and family in the country, and it most
    certainly affects our potential for growth in competitiveness
    in a global economy. I look forward to the conversation, and I
    yield back the balance of my time.
        [The statement of Ranking Member Bonamici follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Kiley. Pursuant to Committee Rule 8-C, all members
    who wish to insert written statements into the record may do so
    by submitting them to the Committee Clerk electronically in
    Microsoft Word format by 5 p.m., 15 days after this hearing.
    Without objection, the hearing record will remain open for 14
    days to allow such statements and other extraneous material
    noted during the hearing to be submitted to the official
    hearing record.
        I note for the Subcommittee that some of my colleagues who
    are not permanent members of the Subcommittee may be waving on
    for the purpose of today's hearing. I will now introduce our
    distinguished witnesses.
        Our first witness is Dr. Sid Dobrin, the Chair of the
    Department of English at the University of Florida in
    Gainesville, Florida. Our second witness is Dr. Julia Rafal-
    Baer, the CEO of the ILO Group here in Washington, DC. Our
    third witness is Ms. Erin Mote, the CEO, for InnovateEDU in
    Brooklyn, New York.
        Our fourth witness is Mr. Chris Chism, the Superintendent
    of the Pearl Public School District in Pearl, Mississippi. We
    thank the witnesses for being here today, and we look forward
    to your testimony.
        Pursuant to Committee rules, I would ask that you each
    limit your oral presentation to a 3-minute summary of your
    written statement. The clock will count down from 3 minutes as
    Committee members have many questions for you, and we would
    like to spend as much time as possible on those questions.
        However, pursuant to Committee Rule 8D and Committee
    practice, we will not cutoff your testimony until you reach the
    5-minute mark. I would like to remind the witnesses to be aware
    of their responsibility to provide accurate information to the
    Subcommittee, and I will first recognize Dr. Dobrin for your
    testimony.

      STATEMENT OF DR. SID DOBRIN, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH,
                         UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

        Mr. Dobrin. We were not given technical instructions. Mr.
    Chairman, Ranking Committee Member, and distinguished members
    of the Committee and others in attendance, I want to thank you,
    first, for the opportunity to speak with you today about
    artificial intelligence and generative artificial intelligence
    in education specifically within K through 12 education.
        As noted, my name is Sid Dobrin. I am Chair of the
    Department of English at the University of Florida where I have
    been faculty for 28 years now. My primary focus of research
    falls to writing studies specifically in terms of emerging
    technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and
    artificial intelligence.
        I will not bore you with my other bonafides, since you have
    them in front of you, other than to say over the last 2 years I
    have had the opportunity to speak to more than 70 campuses
    worldwide about integrating artificial intelligence into
    curriculum.
        I have to tell you, I very much appreciate getting those
    invitations, and the invitation to speak with you today because
    it usually goes something like this. Hey Sid, could you come
    talk to us about artificial intelligence and generative
    artificial intelligence in education in these massive, galactic
    subjects, and if you can do us a favor and wrap it up in 3
    minutes.
        These are big, complex subjects, no matter what I say today
    we'll only be scratching the surface of the conversations we
    need to be having. Since the subject of, and research about
    artificial intelligence and generative artificial intelligence
    in the workplace is such a complex and extensive conversation,
    what I am going to talk about now really is just sort of
    introductory.
        The introduction of generative AI tools like ChatGPT have
    marked a turning point in education. While many became aware of
    these technologies in November 2022, the groundwork for AI
    education was laid much earlier. Initiatives such as the
    Artificial Intelligence for K12 Initiative, developed by
    organizations like the Association for the Advancement of
    Artificial Intelligence, and the Computer Science Teacher
    Association, aimed to create national guidelines and resources
    for AI education.
        However, the rapid evolution of AI necessitates a broader
    approach beyond computer science alone. Today, integrating AI
    into K through 12 education is crucial for several reasons.
    First, technological advancements have made powerful AI tools
    widely accessible, and as was noted in the opening statements,
    access is a key conversation that we must be having.
        It has also changed how students learn to interact with
    information. It is not enough for students to merely consume
    these technologies, they must also understand how they work.
    This comprehension will prepare them for the modern workplace
    where AI is becoming increasingly integral.
        Incorporating AI literacy into curriculum fosters critical
    thinking and problem-solving skills essential for success in
    any career path. Employers are increasingly looking for
    candidates who can navigate complex AI tools, analyze data, and
    make informed decisions.
        By embedding AI education across subjects, we can equip
    students with these vital competencies, building a more
    adaptable, innovative workforce ready to meet the demands of a
    rapidly changing job market. Moreover, as we transition into an
    AI driven economy, workforce readiness will hinge on our
    educational systems' ability to prepare students for these new
    realities.
        We must ensure that our students are not just passive users
    of technology, but proactive participants who can leverage AI
    to enhance their creativity and productivity. Thus, in my
    comments today, and in my written statement, I urge the
    Committee to prioritize AI integration into K through 12
    education to prepare our students for the future.
        By doing so, we not only enhance individual career
    prospects, but also contribute to American innovation and
    economic competitiveness on a global scale, which I address in
    my written testimony. I want to thank you for your time, and
    for the opportunity to speak with you about this pressing
    issue. Thank you.
        [The statement of Dr. Dobrin follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Kiley. Thanks very much. We shall now recognize
    Dr. Rafal-Baer for your testimony.

    STATEMENT OF DR. JULIA RAFAL-BAER, CEO, ILO GROUP, WASHINGTON,
                                  D.C.

        Ms. Rafal-Baer. Thank you. Chair Kiley, Ranking Member
    Bonamici, and members of the Committee, thank you for the
    opportunity to testify today regarding the integration of
    artificial intelligence in K12 education.
        My name is Dr. Julia Rafal-Baer, I am the CEO of ILO Group.
    We are a women owned, women led policy and strategy firm. We
    work with over 200 districts and states nationwide.
        Our work impacts one in three students in the country. I am
    also the founder of Women Leading Ed. We are the largest
    national nonprofit network for women in educational leadership.
    We have members in every State in this Nation. Today, I advise
    education leaders nationwide.
        I serve on multiple Federal and national boards, including
    the National Assessment Governing Board. AI is rapidly becoming
    one of the most impactful innovations across all industries. It
    has the power to transform how educators teach, how students
    learn, how schools operate, and how prepared our future
    workforce will be to leverage emerging technologies.
        However, Women Leading Ed did a survey of hundreds of women
    across the country, and what we learned is that 81 percent of
    leaders feel that AI is significantly impacting their systems.
    However, fewer than 10 percent report that they have the
    adequate resources for effective and safe implementation.
        Given this reality, we must ensure that every student,
    educator, caregiver and community member is equipped not merely
    with digital literacy, but with AI literacy.
        The 2024 bipartisan House Task Force on AI rightly
    recognizes the importance of AI literacy, and the need for
    resources for it. Our work has also found that to establish
    robust foundations for responsible AI usage there must be
    meaningful and ongoing community engagement.
        Based on ILO Group's specific work on AI for the past two
    and a half years, I offer you three specific recommendations
    for Federal policy. First, the Federal role should be
    intentionally limited. It should allow states and districts the
    flexibility and the autonomy to lead AI integration efforts
    that reflect their unique context.
        Given the rapidly evolving role and the nature of these
    technologies, decisions about AI literacy specifically, should
    remain local, rather than federally defined. Second,
    strengthening data security and privacy protections must be an
    immediate priority as AI adoption accelerates.
        Here the Federal Government has an appropriate role to
    provide consistent cybersecurity and data guidance across all
    states, and across all agencies. Education systems increasingly
    face sophisticated AI enhanced cybersecurity threats, making
    standardized protections essential.
        Federal policymakers could develop a comprehensive data
    privacy bill that supports effective policies and best
    practices related to online safety and data privacy that are
    broadly disseminated to states.
        Third, the Federal Government has a critical role in
    funding research that rigorously assesses AI's impact on
    education. The Federal Government is uniquely positioned to
    research and evaluate where rapidly evolving AI tools enhance
    educational quality, relevance and efficiency, and also to
    evaluate its risks, and conduct cost benefit analyses at scale.
        Federal support is essential for analyzing and sharing
    evidence-based practices and ensuring that educator and student
    privacy is adhered to. We recommend convening a White House
    Summit on AI and Education to examine both the opportunities
    and these limitations.
        In conclusion, thoroughly integrated AI can transform
    educational outcomes, but achieving this is going to require
    careful planning, prioritizing deep stakeholder engagement,
    comprehensive AI literacy, and robust security measures. Thank
    you again for your leadership on this critical issue, and for
    the opportunity to speak with you today.
        [The statement of Dr. Rafal-Baer follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Kiley. I will now recognize Ms. Mote for your
    testimony.

        STATEMENT OF MS. ERIN MOTE, CEO, INNOVATEEDU/EDSAFE AI
                      ALLIANCE, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

        Ms. Mote. Good morning, Chairman Kiley, Ranking Member
    Bonamici, and members of the Committee. Thank you for the time
    and attention today. I appreciate the chance to address you
    about the State of AI in K12 education. My remarks are shaped
    by decades of work at the intersection of education and
    technology.
        As a technologist, and enterprise architect, I have been
    using AI and engineering technology for schools, including the
    charter school that I founded in downtown Brooklyn for more
    than a decade. My comments today are informed by my experience
    working alongside State Chiefs, District Administrators,
    educators, families, communities, through the EDSAFE AI
    Alliance and InnovateEDU.
        The Alliance fosters collaboration and knowledge to
    prioritize student well-being, and effective learning outcomes
    through the SAFE framework, safety, accountability, fairness
    and transparency, and efficacious use of AI in education.
    Though, my most important role is that of a mother of two
    school-aged children.
        Like some of you, and all parents across this country, I
    want to ensure that my children are safe, that they are known
    and cared for, that their data is safe, their teachers are
    supported, and they have a pathway to join a future workforce
    where a pre-requisite for any career, from a lawyer to doctor,
    to plumber, will be of how you work alongside, and manage
    artificial intelligence.
        Artificial intelligence is an arrival technology. Arrival
    technologies, like electricity, social media, or the internet,
    are massively disruptive, and rapidly reshape how we teach, how
    we learn, how we live. Right now, AI's use is uneven and
    limited across school communities, with only about 25 percent
    of educators reporting that they have used AI in the classroom,
    or even in their preparation.
        Access to this technology, and the resources to support
    building AI literacy are unevenly distributed. How we support
    AI in education and its adoption, must be about embracing
    opportunity, access, fairness, especially for under resourced
    rural, urban, and suburban schools and communities. The story
    of AI in education is one of both promise and peril.
        AI offers the promise of personalized learning and improves
    student outcomes. AI's growing capacity to tailor content to
    each student's pace, including those with disabilities,
    represents a significant advancement in education technology.
    However, to unlock personalized learning, AI needs a vast
    amount of data.
        This need can raise significant risks regarding how the
    data is stored, who has access to it, and the potential for its
    misuse. AI promises to enhance the efficiency of educators and
    administrators by supporting them with through a range of time-
    consuming administrative tasks. However, tools must be
    reliable, safe, and effective.
        We must work to mitigate the existing biases that exist in
    these tools, increase algorithmic reliability, and trust in the
    outputs. A critical aspect to balancing this promise and peril,
    as my fellow witnesses have said, is AI literacy, and investing
    in professional development for educators, and support for
    students to ethically use this technology.
        America's education is at a critical juncture hindered by
    significant gaps in our own public infrastructure that present
    barriers to innovation that put our economic prosperity, and
    frankly, our national security at risk. Relying solely on State
    level action for AI literacy and AI deployment, is a recipe for
    fragmentation and missed opportunity.
        In education we have seen this before with a patchwork of
    student privacy and data laws that create market failures for
    industry, stifle startups, and limit our ability to harness
    technology to support educators, students, and families. AI's
    nature transcends State lines, making a Federal framework
    critical for interState commerce, and essential for maintaining
    national competitiveness.
        Industry alone cannot carry this burden. Across the board
    cuts to the U.S. Department of Education, National Science
    Foundation, Department of Commerce, and other Federal agencies
    pose a significant threat to our Nation's ability to meet these
    demands, including vital education technology support directly
    to states and districts.
        Imagine an education system empowered by artificial
    intelligence. A force that is transformative as electricity,
    the automobile, the internet. With decisive national action
    America can create robust infrastructure for AI in education,
    unlocking personalized learning, enhancing teacher
    effectiveness, and securing our global leadership by supporting
    schools and districts.
        The stakes could not be higher. Either the United States
    boldly leads, securing prosperity, human flourishing, and
    technological sovereignty for future generations, or we lose a
    race as important to this Nation as the race for space was.
    Thank you.
        [The statement of Ms. Mote follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Kiley. Thank you very much. Last, I will recognize
    Mr. Chism for your testimony.

      STATEMENT OF MR. CHRIS CHISM, SUPERINTENDENT, PEARL PUBLIC
                  SCHOOL DISTRICT, PEARL, MISSISSIPPI

        Mr. Chism. Chairman Kiley, Ranking Member Bonamici, and the
    rest of the members that are here today, I just want to say
    thank you for the opportunity. It has been a really interesting
    18 hours of getting here. I did not think I was going to make
    it with the flight cancellations, but I am here, and I am
    honored to be here to answer a few questions for you guys.
        I want to take this in a little different direction. You
    have my written testimony, but my written testimony goes all
    over the place. There are 10 or 12 topics there, so I really
    want to cover a couple today that I think are the most
    important. First and foremost, is workforce development. That
    is something that we need to be focusing on in the K-12 world.
        I can tell you this, I did a presentation a couple of weeks
    ago for business and industry. It was open to anybody that
    could come, or who wanted to come. We had people from IT, we
    had people from insurance, we had people from banking, we had
    people from all walks of life coming into this.
        Really, the point of all of this is AI is going to be
    involved in every branch of business moving forward. It does
    not matter where we go or what we do, and that is global. That
    is not just Mississippi, that is not just the U.S., that is
    globally as well. We are going to see AI in everything that we
    do. It is going to be the new industrial revolution.
        A lot of times in education we are the last ones to change.
    You know, it takes us a long time to get things moving, so I
    have really tried to be on the front end of this, in doing a
    lot of training in our State and teaching people how to use
    this, and the right ways to use it.
        The second thing is I really want to touch on efficiency.
    This is a big part of what I do in giving these presentations
    to other school districts, to other states as well. Efficiency
    is where this train is driven from.
        AI can make all of us so much more efficient, and that is
    teachers, that is students, that is administrators, that is
    central office personnel, everything that we do creating our
    own agents that can do things for us is how we create that
    efficiency.
        Again, it is not as hard as people think it is to create
    these things, so in the end, ultimately that's what we are
    trying to do is create efficiency within schools. Again, I
    agree with a lot of things that have been said here already. I
    am not going to rehash a lot of those. A lot of those are in my
    written testimony as well.
        In the end, what we need to do is continue to move forward.
    This is not going anywhere, and so we in the K-12 world, we
    need to respond to this as quickly as possible. I want to end
    with a story quickly, and I have an English teacher who for 29
    years, she can retire anytime that she wants. In fact, she
    called me this fall and said I am going to retire. I said I
    need you to come and talk to me for a few minutes. I do not
    need you to retire.
        She came over and had a discussion with me, and she said I
    just cannot do it anymore. She said I am grading papers every
    night for three and 4 hours a night. It is taking me eight to
    10 days to get this information back to kids. I just cannot do
    it. I need to be a mom. I need to be a wife. I just cannot do
    it anymore.
        I said well, can you spend about an hour with me? She did.
    We created an agent for her. We uploaded the State writing
    rubric, and basically, we took everything that she teaches in
    writing from introductory paragraphs, to conclusions,
    transitions, sentence structure, all of these things, and we
    created an agent for her to use in the classroom.
        Now she does not have to take those papers home and grade
    them, and understand that AI is not doing the grading, that AI
    is a tool that she is using to help grade.
        I think again, that just gives you an example of where we
    can be so much more efficient in the classrooms, as
    administrators, as teachers across the board, and again, I will
    certainly take any questions.
        Again, I am so very proud and honored to be here with you
    guys. Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Chism follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Kiley. Under Committee Rule 9, we will now
    question witnesses under the 5-minute rule, and I will now
    recognize Mr. Rulli for 5 minutes, the Representative from
    Ohio.
        Mr. Rulli. Thank you so much, Chairman. I appreciate that.
    Mr. Chism, I think everyone is a little nervous about AI, just
    in general, but also optimistic for what the future could
    possibly hold. Could you share some of your stories with you
    about students and this toll and ability to excel them as a
    student in America?
        Mr. Chism. Absolutely. I am happy to do that. It really
    begins with the teacher, you know, and again, I do not want you
    to think that I am saying that we need to teach elementary and
    middle school students how to use AI, that is not what we are
    doing. We are really focused on kids that are in 10th, 11th and
    12th grade.
        Again, the idea is to teach them to use this, but also to
    teach them to use this in an ethical way. In our trainings, in
    the things that we do with teachers in training students, what
    we talk about are really two things, and that is if you can use
    this as the perfect assistant, and the perfect search engine.
        You know, you are using it in an ethical way. There is a
    big difference between having an AI program write for you, and
    an AI program write with you. Those are two completely
    different things. What we have seen, especially in the writing.
    I just gave you that example from that teacher, right? You
    know, she can now do these things.
        What I was not paying attention to at the time I was
    helping her, but what we are now doing instead of writing a
    paper every 10 days, we are writing a paper almost every day.
    Again, and then this opens up other things, you know, in some
    of our tech classes as well.
        It gives them new ideas and new ways to take this, and I
    think that is the power of AI, is the idea that it can give you
    ideas that you have not thought up because it has got access to
    the full internet. Again, there are 1,000 stories that I can
    share, but that just gives you an overview of the direction
    that we are going, and the way that we are using it.
        I will tell you it starts with the teachers. It starts with
    administrators and teachers. If they are not onboard first, our
    kids are not going to use it in the right way.
        Mr. Rulli. I really appreciate that. You know, being a
    parent, and also looking back in my own mind's eye, when you
    look at a subject like AI, it is a little contradictory in my
    own mind about the love and the hate and the scariness of it. I
    think, you know, the idea that could cure cancer with AI, you
    could have these kids learn in ways they never possibly could.
        Do you have a little, quick piece of advice for mom and dad
    that maybe are a little bit worried about the guardrails? You
    know, some of us were raised, you know, watching the
    terminator, and I mean that is obviously hopefully not going to
    ever happen, but do you have anything to calm down mom and dad?
        Mr. Chism. You know, I get that a lot in every presentation
    I give is there is a healthy fear, and I think we should have a
    healthy fear of it. You know, I think for parents, it is the
    communication piece with their own kid, and it is making sure
    that they are also teaching good habits to kids with this.
        You know, I think one of the scary things is, and there are
    models out there that are completely open that have no
    guardrails, and I think that is one thing that scares me a
    little bit. You know, you can actually go to Ollama.com and you
    can download any model that you want, and some have the
    guardrails taken off.
        If a kid is in the tech world and knows how to do this,
    that can be a scary proposition for a child. I think again,
    monitoring what your kids do, and having good conversations on
    what good behavior on this looks like is no different than
    social media or using the internet in general.
        Mr. Rulli. I appreciate that also. Finally, probably one of
    the most passionate questions I have for you, I was on the
    school board for 8 years, and I worked with students very
    closely. I was very hands on approach, especially when I was
    the President of the School Board.
        I wanted to take focus on AI, and I want to concentrate on
    an IEP or a 504 Plans, are probably my top priority that I have
    always been in school. I know a lot of moms out there, and dads
    are worried about this. Can you talk about AI, and the
    potential to help our students with disabilities, and how
    exciting that can be for their future in learning?
        Mr. Chism. Oh my goodness, that is fabulous. My wife is
    actually a special education director in the district, so I
    have created several things for our teachers to use, and I
    think the best part of this is you can take a student's data,
    and again this is something we may bring out at some point.
        We have our own AI server in the district, so we do not
    have to worry about FERPA laws, OK. We can take the students'
    assessment scores, and we could match those to State
    assessments, and then we can use the power of these AI's to
    actually script an individual plan for that kid with a path to
    proficiency.
        I think that is the exciting part about this, and literally
    that is done in 20 or 30 seconds. We upload a couple of PDFs;
    we tell it what we want it to do. I have already pretrained
    this in the background to do what I want it to do, and in the
    end, it gives that kid a short-term, medium-term and long-term
    plans that are developed around that individual child, as
    opposed to just the entire classroom.
        Again, that is one of the things that excites me the most
    about this.
        Mr. Rulli. That could probably be even flipped onto like
    higher ed. It could go to the University or whatever, because
    it is so individualized for that particular student. It could
    be a growing tool that that child grows into adulthood with,
    correct?
        Mr. Chism. Yes, sir. 100 percent. I do not think this stops
    at K-12. Honestly, I do not think this stops at college. I
    think we are going to see this moving into the business world.
    Knowledge is going to be something for everybody now, and I
    think that is what is changing in the world of AI.
        You know, we used to pay--we pay doctors lots of money,
    right, but now everybody is going to have access to the
    specialized training that they have had for years, so again, I
    do not think it stops in K12, and college. I think that rolls
    right into adulthood as well.
        Mr. Rulli. How exciting. Thank you. I yield my time back,
    Chair.
        Chairman Kiley. Thank you very much. The Ranking Member,
    Ms. Bonamici of Oregon, is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Ms. Bonamici. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Mote, we spoke
    about the Trump administration's plans to dismantle and abolish
    the Department of Education, and what that would mean to not
    only the K-12 system, but institutes of higher education,
    informed policymaking, civil rights, et cetera.
        Could you summarize what, in your opinion, from your work
    as a technologist, what would dismantling the Department of
    Education mean for students, and our locally driven public
    education system, especially regarding the use of AI in K-12
    schools? Then I want to have time for another question too
    about professional development.
        Ms. Mote. Absolutely. Thank you so much. I think we have to
    recognize that as you shared in your opening statements,
    conversations about curriculum, conversations about what is
    happening in the classroom are inherently a local context. The
    Department of Education provides critical support to districts
    across this country, and resources particularly around
    education technology.
        There are over 13,000 public school districts in this
    country. Not all of them can have a Mr. Chism, who builds his
    own AI server. They need cybersecurity expertise. They need
    interoperability and privacy expertise. They need the ability
    to pick up the phone and call someone at the Office of Civil
    Rights and ask questions about whether or not the use of this
    tool is within the bounds of the law.
        We cannot expect that expertise and capacity to be built in
    every school district in this country. If we remove those
    supports, if we remove the critical research and development
    function about what works for whom and under what conditions at
    the U.S. Department of Education, I worry that local schools
    and districts will not actually be empowered to make the
    decisions that they should be making about what is taught, what
    tools, and how we support educators and students throughout
    this country.
        Ms. Bonamici. Thank you. I am sure everyone here recognizes
    the importance of professional development, and you know,
    educators have various levels of skills when it comes to
    technology. I want to ask you. You noted in your testimony that
    at one point there was a risk of overreliance on AI that may in
    fact diminish critical thinking, and creative problem solving.
        I also want to just acknowledge Dr. Dobrin said something
    about the importance of the most sought-after skills,
    communication, critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork.
    How would professional development, how does that make a
    difference, and how would it prevent, or present new
    opportunities for educators?
        How can it inform educators about the risks of AI, and how
    does elimination of the Office of Educational Technology and
    cuts to these professional development programs affect
    opportunities for teachers who are using or want to use more
    AI?
        Ms. Mote. I am going to introduce a critical concept I hope
    to this Committee called, Humans in the Loop, in terms of
    technology. This is the idea that when an IEP is generated by
    AI, there is still a special education teacher, or a special
    education coordinator who is looking at that IEP and saying
    does this match the student that I see in front of me?
        AI is never going to replace the fundamental human
    enterprise that is education, so how do we equip every teacher
    with the necessary literacy skills to work alongside this
    technology, to be stewards of minor data, to protect data
    privacy and security, to choose the right tools, and to stay
    engaged in this technology?
        We can only do that if we support AI literacy and
    professional development for educators throughout this country.
    Let us be honest, when I was running my school, I had a lot on
    my plate. Frankly, like teachers have more on their plate today
    than they did when I was running my school in Brooklyn. There
    are challenges with youth mental health. There are ways to meet
    the workforce demands. There are questions from parents.
        There is increased need to close academic achievement gaps.
    We need to be able to support educators and not just add
    another thing to their plate. They need the learning, they need
    the skills, and they need the understanding of this technology
    if we expect them to adopt it for the efficiencies that we are
    talking about here today, the personalization, but also the
    ability to move forward.
        Ms. Bonamici. Thank you. You mentioned data security and
    privacy, key issues. I also serve on the Committee on Science,
    Space, and Technology, and was a member of the bipartisan AI
    Task Force, and I hope everybody in this building is listening
    to all of the testimony here today.
        Everyone is emphasizing the importance of data security and
    privacy, and I hope that we can get that done on a bipartisan
    basis. I just in my remaining few seconds, I want to ask Dr.
    Rafal-Baer, you talked about the importance of Federal
    research. Where have you seen the most beneficial research
    being done when it comes to artificial intelligence in
    education?
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. I think in the role of Federal research is
    absolutely critical. Federal research helps to signal what is
    important. It provides that scale and ability to look at
    whether things are truly relevant under what conditions they
    are working, and whether or not we are getting the kind of
    return on investment that we would expect from that level of
    research.
        Ms. Bonamici. Where are you seeing that research? The
    beneficial research, what agencies have been doing that?
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. What agencies at the Federal level?
        Ms. Bonamici. Yes.
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. Are doing that? I think a number of
    different agencies on the Federal level who have been doing
    strong research. I think for states, it is about the signaling
    that the Federal Government does in putting out that research
    and being able to stand behind that research.
        Ms. Bonamici. Thank you. As I yield back, Mr. Chairman,
    when it comes to artificial intelligence, I always have 5 hours
    of questions, and I only get 5 minutes, so.
        Chairman Kiley. Thank you. The Representative from
    Pennsylvania, Mr. Thompson, is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Thompson. Chairman, Ranking Member, thank you so much
    for this hearing. First of all, Ms. Mote, I want to say I
    couldn't agree with you more. I mean AI is an incredible
    opportunity, but it does not replace our teachers. It makes
    them more effective.
        AI without either HI or RI, human intelligence, or real
    intelligence, is just not going to get it done, and it may
    mislead us. As we have heard today, artificial intelligence
    presents a unique opportunity to rapidly advance the
    educational landscape for students with disabilities. In just
    the last two decades we have seen enormous growth and success
    of assistive technology in aiding these students, and I believe
    AI presents the next frontier in helping to ensure all students
    have access to a high-quality, appropriate education that bests
    fits their abilities.
        Maybe that is why we have not gotten around to doing our
    job of reauthorizing Individuals with Disability Education Act.
    You know because with this new frontier, we would be taking
    into consideration, as we actually do the reauthorization of
    IDEA, it is long overdue.
        Dr. Rafal-Baer, I know AI is making possible the
    development of new screening tools and assistive technologies,
    such as screen readers. Given your previous experience as a
    special education teacher, and thank you for doing that, could
    you talk more about the benefits AI adoption might have for
    students with special needs?
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. Yes. Thank you for that question. I am
    really excited as a former special education teacher about some
    of the power and the potential, particularly when it comes to
    things like screeners. I think there are so many opportunities
    to learn more about our students, and to be able to use that
    information in connected ways to give us a fuller picture about
    each individual student, helping to unlock new ways to think
    about supporting them.
        I also think that like all things, this is very new, and I
    think being able to really understand and look at the impact of
    this, and see whether or not these screeners, and these tools
    are working the way that we would expect, and for what types of
    students, and under what conditions is such an important
    research function that we need to continue to explore.
        I think that there has been some really promising early
    research recently out of Ector County in Texas, where they were
    looking at the way in which AI could support not the students,
    but the actual tutors, the individuals who are going in and
    providing support to those students, and looking at tutors at
    different skills level.
        Those who were lower on their skill level, those who were
    medium in their skill level, and those that were said to be
    higher performing. What they found was that AI supported all of
    them, but particularly those that were lower and middle
    performing.
        As a special education teacher, that is really exciting.
    That means that once we have that information from these
    screeners, and we can better pinpoint areas that we need to
    support our students, that there are promising and encouraging
    results from the research around how AI might help all of the
    adults who were working with our students, but particularly
    those that need more support themselves to better differentiate
    and scaffold for those students, and that is something that
    really excites me.
        Mr. Thompson. Do you believe that both teachers and schools
    at this point have the resources they need to ensure students
    with disabilities can take advantage of these potential
    benefits?
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. I think the resource question is always a
    really tricky one. There is a role at every level in terms of
    resources. There is a Federal role. There are states
    prioritizing resources. I think the private sector has a really
    critical function to play in this world of AI. I think being
    able to bring everyone together, and doing so in ways where
    they are partnering effectively, and sharing research and
    information is a vital function, and it is a vital function of
    our states.
        It is imperative that our states are leading on this, and
    that our states are collecting data and information, and
    reporting transparently and publicly so that individuals
    understand what this looks like, and how those resources are
    being used and to what impact.
        Mr. Thompson. Well, with benefit usually comes some type of
    risk, and so for example in managing the risk of AI generated
    images, the spread of bullying tactics, or even AI that has not
    been properly programed to work with specific learning
    disabilities, could impact special needs students more than
    others.
        I look forward to talking with you offline because I am
    going to run out of time here but basically looking to see what
    risk do you see AI adoption posing, particularly for those
    students who you would advise school leaders to balance those
    risks with the AI benefits. I think that is a conversation that
    we need to have as we pursue this, so.
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. I look forward to speaking with you further
    about this. I think it is one of the most important and
    critical topics that you all could undertake.
        Mr. Thompson. Thank you so much, and Chairman, I yield
    back.
        Chairman Kiley. The Representative from New York, Mr.
    Mannion, is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Mannion. Thank you, Chairman Kiley, and Ranking Member
    Bonamici, for holding this hearing today. Thank you to the
    witnesses for your detailed testimony and recommendations. AI
    holds potential in the classroom and outside of the classroom,
    and it can improve, I believe, you know, K12 education, and be
    an important tool for teachers that utilize it, particularly as
    it relates to students entering the workforce.
        I, of course, share the same concerns of many members of
    this Committee, that we must be thoughtful in our approach, and
    that the opportunities that come with AI, also come with a
    variety of risks. As we further integrate AI into the
    classroom, we have to ensure that it supports and not supplants
    the essential roles of teachers, and the broader purpose of
    education.
        As a former teacher, I believe that it is much more than
    academics. It is about developing well rounded individuals that
    can think critically, constructively engage with their peers,
    and communities, and successfully navigate an ever-complex
    world. My question is for Ms. Mote.
        Your testimony mentions a common concern about AI, that if
    not used properly may negatively impact students' social,
    emotional development. Could you elaborate on that please?
        Ms. Mote. Absolutely. I think all the witnesses have talked
    about the skills that employers are going to demand in an AI
    empowered world, critical thinking, working in multi-functional
    teams, thinking about how to do creative problem solving.
        That happens when you work alongside, and with humans. I am
    just going to ask you about the future that we might want.
    Recently a Stanford study found that a tool called Replica AI,
    which allows young people to create a digital twin to engage in
    conversations with reduced suicidal ideation by 3 percent. That
    is great, 3 percent.
        If we get any change in young people's mental health and
    suicidal ideations that is great. Last year the CDC released a
    study which said one meaningful connection with a human in a
    school, a bus driver, a teacher, a coach, reduces suicidal
    ideation in young people by 33 percent.
        Do we want 3 percent or 33 percent? I would prefer for my
    young children, to have those meaningful connections with
    adults who are helping them navigate this technology, work
    alongside it, and thinking about how to have those skills that
    employers will demand.
        Mr. Mannion. Thank you for that. My followup question was
    actually going to be about the identification of suicidal
    warning signs, so I think I am going to leave your testimony
    right there and yield back to the Chair.
        Chairman Kiley. The Representative from Indiana, Mr.
    Messmer is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Messmer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dr. Rafal-Baer, in
    your written testimony you said that states are ideally
    positioned to support districts in making locally grounded
    decisions that align with their unique goals. You touched on
    this during your testimony, but what role do you think states
    can play uniquely in an AI adoption where individual districts
    might struggle?
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. Thank you for that question. States are
    first and foremost, the ones who set the vision for where
    things are going within their State, and they do so through
    deep community engagement, and understanding where their
    constituents are. That is only more true in this moment around
    AI.
        I think states also play a critical data collection role.
    We saw this with internet access, and the differences in the
    kind of quality of access and the unevenness between what
    students had access to, even within a school setting versus
    what they might have at home or an after school.
        We need to look at that in the same way with AI. We know
    that students are going to have very different experiences, and
    we are already seeing that in early survey work where we are
    seeing higher socioeconomic students, who have more access to
    paid versions of AI. Those are important things that states
    should be looking into and should be collecting data about.
        The second area that we suggest in ILO Group's framework
    for State education agencies is the concept of an AI assurance
    lab. We think states are uniquely positioned to set up a lab
    that creates public transparency around what tools are being
    vetted by scientists and researchers from within the State,
    thinking about bringing task forces with other representatives
    on it, including having parents and caregivers a part of those
    labs.
        Not just doing the approvals on the front end, but also
    rigorously and often doing more research on the outputs of
    tools that are approved can help to give people more confidence
    and just understanding about all of this, and we think it is an
    important role that states can play.
        Mr. Messmer. Thank you. Dr. Dobrin, you mentioned that
    about 25 states have, or are developing, official guidelines
    and policies for K-12 AI education. On a whole, do you think
    these states are rising to the challenge, and giving the
    districts the information they need, or do these guidelines
    lack specificity and clarity?
        Mr. Dobrin. Thank you for that question. In regarding what
    different state's legislation, like I had mentioned in the
    written, there are about 45 states now that are considering AI.
    Most of those are not directed specifically at education.
    However, the trickle down will inevitably be that that will
    affect education. The thing that I think that comes out clear,
    and I can point to yesterday's Florida Senate discussion in the
    Commerce Committee about AI, is that the majority of these
    states are focusing on further research, which is, as my
    panelists have--other witnesses have noted, that is the
    important part at this point.
        We need more data before we make these decisions. Those
    states that are beginning to really look at what AI deployment
    looks like, both in workplace, and in education, they are the
    ones who are going to--excuse me, they are the ones who are
    going to lead that conversation.
        Mr. Messmer. Have there been pretty robust collaborative
    efforts between states that you've seen?
        Mr. Dobrin. I honestly do not know how states are talking
    to other states.
        Mr. Messmer. Thank you. I yield back the rest of my time.
        Chairman Kiley. The Representative from Connecticut,
    Representative Hayes is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mrs. Hayes. Thank you. Thank you to our witnesses for being
    here today to testify. Advanced instructional technologies can
    be transformative, enhancing both teaching and learning.
    However, any implementation of AI technology in the classroom
    should maximize both safety and privacy, while also advancing
    equity and fairness.
        Ms. Mote, recently the Office of Education Technology, or
    OET, at the Department of Education was eliminated as part of a
    reduction in force at the agency. OET played an integral role
    in developing and implementing policies and initiatives on
    education technology. What has been the role of OET, and how
    has this office assisted states in the implementation of AI
    technologies in the classroom from your perspective?
        Ms. Mote. Well, I think it is important to name that OET
    really puts out guidelines, and really best practices for
    states and districts to follow, providing that necessary
    expertise and knowledge that frankly would be impossible for
    there to be an AI expert in every district to be able to do.
        Ways to communicate to parents who say that their schools
    right now are not communicating with them about AI. 83 percent
    of parents have said in a commonsense survey that they have not
    heard anything from their schools about generative AI. As a
    parent, we know that we need to be working alongside our
    educators to provide that critical guidance.
        I want to talk to you about something very quickly, which
    is a foundational layer of data privacy, security and inter-
    operability, which every technology needs, whether it is AI, or
    it is cybersecurity. From 2002, sorry from 2022 to 2023, there
    was a 105 percent increase in known ransomware attacks against
    K-12 and higher education institutions.
        State and local cybersecurity grant programs were provided
    not only by the Department of Education, but also by CISA and
    other entities that provided critical support for not just AI,
    but technology as a whole. Without that guidance, without that
    knowledge, without that expertise, states and districts will
    have to navigate this changing technology on their own.
        Mrs. Hayes. Thank you. I appreciate that. To your point it
    is very important. This is something I have been saying all
    month that people understand the role of the Department of
    Education in providing frameworks and guidelines. These things
    are implemented at the local level, but in many districts, they
    do not have the resources or the knowledge, or even basically
    the skill set to pursue aggressively emerging technologies and
    things like that, especially in a field that is moving as
    quickly as AI.
        Earlier this month the Department of Education eliminated
    half of their staff. Additionally, President Trump signed an
    executive order calling for the dismantling of the Department.
    Ms. Mote, again, how does the elimination of OET, and the cost
    to dismantle the Department entirely, impact the role of the
    Federal Government in supporting access and deployment of safe
    AI technologies in the classroom?
        Ms. Mote. Well, I think everyone here has talked about
    access, and how important it is for us to be thinking about
    access. I want to think about the role of the essential
    frameworks and connectivity that have powered our communities,
    and the ability to use that technology.
        The U.S. Department of Education has provided that support.
    The U.S. Department of Commerce has provided that support. CISA
    has provided that support. We talk about the need for states to
    be able to drive connectivity, to drive access, but they would
    not have been able to do that without universal service funds.
        They would not have been able to do that without the
    Digital Equity Act, Title II, Title IV dollars, in order to
    lead professional development. If we really want there to be
    the type of infrastructure that allows all students to thrive,
    we need to invest in institutions that can provide that
    capacity.
        Mrs. Hayes. Thank you. I appreciate that because I can tell
    you even within the school district where I worked in my
    school, our computer and technology classes were taught by
    teachers, not practicing professionals in the field, so the
    ability to have outsiders come in with additional support, or
    professional development, which is something that the
    Department of Education provides for school districts across
    the country is not only critical and fundamental, but it is
    necessary.
        Especially when we are talking about something like AI
    where the technology is advancing so quickly. The safety of our
    students has to be a critical focal point. I do not have much
    time, but I am going to ask a question. If maybe you could
    submit the answer for the record, that would be great. Just
    some ideas on steps that local school districts can take when
    vetting AI technology to ensure that student access is tailored
    to educational content, and improves engagement, but also does
    not allow disruptions in learning, or many of the other things
    that we saw.
        Thank you, and with that I yield back.
        Chairman Kiley. The Representative from Utah, Mr. Owens, is
    recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Owens. Thank you. I want to first of all thank the
    witnesses for participating in this very timely use of AI in
    education. If we want our children and our education to be the
    forefront of the world, we have to start adapting the latest
    technologies of use in classrooms in a safe, responsible
    manner, and I look forward to again, talking with the witnesses
    about this.
        It is probably one of the more important conversations we
    are going to have in a bipartisan way. Dr. Dobrin, one trick
    aspect of AI adoption in schools is assessing the cognitive
    impact. You mentioned that further research might be helpful to
    understand how AI generated content and automated problem
    solving might affect a student's ability to think critically.
        That has a real concern. What is obviously a rapidly
    growing field, how does research based tell us so far of AI's
    impact on critical thinking, and what type of additional
    research would be helpful?
        Mr. Dobrin. Thank you for that. Yes, indeed, that as other
    witnesses have said, research right now is one of the keys.
    What we do not have regarding cognitive development right now
    is long-term affect research. We have data that both shows the
    improvement in critical thinking and problem-solving skills
    when AI is in use, and we also have data that also shows that
    some students are turning to the technology to do the work for
    them.
        I think that the real key here for educators has a lot to
    do with demystifying how these technologies actually work. In
    the conversation we have had thus far, we tend to talk about AI
    as a single thing. AI does this, AI can do this. AI is an
    umbrella term for a lot of different kinds of technologies.
        When we start looking specifically at cognitive
    development, part of what we have to think about is how we are
    using those various kinds of AIs in various context. This is
    one of the reasons that in my work, and this was also brought
    up by one of the other witnesses earlier, that I emphasize that
    this is about augmentation, not automation.
        All AI--all AI requires three things, fantastic computing
    process, lots of data and human expertise, what was referred to
    as human in the loop a moment ago. If we can influence that,
    then part of what we are inherently influencing also is that
    role of cognitive development. That the human is the one
    running the process.
        That to me is where the research has to unfold, is how that
    expertise gets manifest.
        Mr. Owens. OK. Thank you so much. Dr. Rafal-Baer, you
    highlighted the importance of State autonomy and implanting AI
    literacy and integrating AI tools into the K through 12
    education. As AI adoption grows across school systems, how can
    we ensure that all states can develop the necessary frameworks
    and support structures to ensure the safe and effective AI
    integration?
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. Well, ILO Group has built though two
    frameworks. One that has been developed for State education
    agencies, and one for district superintendents. That was based
    off work that we have been doing with the working group of 40
    different districts and states across the country.
        Beyond creating these frameworks, which are grounded within
    the political operational, technical and fiscal realities of AI
    implementation, and giving department by department questions
    to start to consider, we have also rolled out a three-tiered
    process that begins with deep stakeholder engagement.
        Our belief is that there is no work that should be getting
    done on AI that is not starting first with an incredible amount
    of listening within your community and within your State. We
    think that you go from that part of the process to developing
    ethical guardrails and principles based on the kinds of
    conversations that are coming up in your community, using that
    to then develop guidance.
        Then from there you can go into larger scale optimization.
    I think what ends up happening so often though is that states
    start to feel pressure and in turn, districts start to feel
    pressure that they need to do something. They need to show that
    they are being responsive.
        Well intentioned organizations will provide templates of
    resources, and then often you will hear all these data points
    that, you know, 90 percent of states have guidance that is up
    on their websites, but it has not trickled down.
        To the comment that was made earlier about the reality that
    many parents do not feel like they are even hearing about AI,
    that is because there are too many templatized guidance and
    resources being provided without starting with deep stakeholder
    engagement, and listening, and bringing these conversations to
    our communities.
        We are hearing over and over again from the leading
    providers that we are moving closer to AGI, right? The idea
    that artificial intelligence will have human-like capabilities.
    That means that we have to be doing even more around
    stakeholder engagement and communication to make sure that all
    parents and citizens really understand that.
        Mr. Owens. Well, thank you. Thanks so much. I just wanted,
    and I am running out of time here, I just want to say real
    quick, to the point of the Department of Education. That ship
    has sailed. We now make sure that innovators like yourself are
    part of this conversation, and not bureaucrats of D.C. I am
    excited about the fact we are finally going to be putting this
    power back in the hands of parents and schoolteachers, and
    those in local levels, so I am excited about that process. With
    that, I yield back.
        Chairman Kiley. Representative Lee of Pennsylvania is
    recognized for 5 minutes.
        Ms. Lee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you so much to the
    panel for your testimony. Artificial intelligence and its
    algorithms are built by humans, and they are trained on data
    that is created by humans, which means it should not come as a
    surprise to anyone that AI often reinforces the same implicit
    and explicit biases that humans carry, classism, or sexism,
    racism, ableism.
        I just want to really lift up, that we cannot ignore the
    capacity of AI to deepen the systemic inequalities already
    facing marginalized communities, and AI in K through 12 schools
    is not any different. With a dismantled Department of
    Education, where a drastically reduced Office of Civil Rights,
    or Office for Civil Rights is being weaponized to undercut
    students' civil rights.
        K to 12 schools are unprepared to address the vast
    inequities that can come with AI. We should be especially
    concerned about rapidly expanding school surveillance AI, that
    includes facial recognition technology with error rates of 35
    percent for black girls, an online chat monitoring and so-
    called aggression detection that is layered with racialized
    assumptions about communication.
        Much of this surveillance technology is an extension of
    histories of scientific racism and eugenics. Ms. Mote, in your
    testimony you referenced a resource created last year by the
    Department of Education on avoiding discriminatory use of
    artificial intelligence.
        The Department of Education, under the last administration,
    created this resource to inform schools of how AI can violate
    students' civil rights. It included examples like facial
    recognition, consistently misidentifying black students and
    predicted algorithms flagging black students as more likely to
    carry out disciplinary infractions.
        Without resources like this from the Department of
    Education, are schools equipped to keep students' civil rights
    intact when deploying AI surveillance?
        Ms. Mote. It is important to name that there is no tool as
    you mentioned in education that is without bias. Every tool in
    use in America's classrooms today has algorithmic in
    reliability or bias built in because it is built by humans. As
    you so aptly mentioned, it repeats the bias that is already in
    existing datasets, or the bias that is held by the developers
    themselves.
        There are tools to mitigate this effect, something called
    reweighting, which allows you to actually index for students
    with disabilities, or students from subgroups. In order to do
    that, to have the data to be able to train those models to be
    more equitable, to be more fair, to offer opportunity for every
    student, you need data and data infrastructure.
        Right now, we are seeing a dismantling of our data
    infrastructure at the Federal level. The very datasets that
    would allow industry, that would allow researchers, that would
    allow others to use that data to be able to train these tools
    to mitigate bias. It is really important that we name that
    there is no way to eliminate bias, but we can provide guidance,
    like the guidance you mentioned, provide data for training, and
    work alongside industry to mitigate bias that exists in these
    tools. Yes.
        Ms. Lee. Thank you. The fact that we can no longer rely on
    the Department of Education to serve its key functions,
    including its jobs of safeguarding students against
    discriminatory AI surveillance is especially concerning, since
    school surveillance technology is a--multibillion-dollar
    industry that seems to really allude oversight and
    accountability.
        Ms. Mote, do the companies selling their AI surveillance to
    schools typically evaluate their algorithms for racial bias?
    How important is it that these companies evaluate and monitor
    products to mitigate that bias?
        Ms. Mote. One challenge for all companies that are using AI
    right now is they can only look at the data that they have
    themselves. Let me go back to my days of making copies in the
    copy room. Has anyone ever made a xerox of paper, and then you
    make a xerox of it again, and then you make a xerox of it
    again?
        Over time that copy degrades. If you only test your tool
    against the data that you have yourself, it is not going to be
    able to surface the bias, or to surface the challenges that
    might be within that tool. We need to provide an infrastructure
    for industry to walk alongside schools and districts, to be
    able to make sure their tools are equitable.
        Ms. Lee. Thank you. I just want to really quickly, in the
    2023 survey by the Center for Democracy and Technology, almost
    40 percent of teachers reported that sensitive student data was
    being shared with law enforcement and being used in predictive
    policing algorithms who identified children who may commit
    future criminal behavior.
        This was closer to 50 percent of teachers at schools
    receiving Title I funding, and closer to 60 percent of special
    education teachers. I wanted to mention that before I have to
    just conclude because without guidance, accountability, and
    oversight from a functioning Department of Education, AI
    surveillance in schools will exacerbate the school to prison
    pipeline and cause irreversible harm to black, brown, and other
    vulnerable communities.
        It is why I introduced a piece of legislation last year
    that will require the Federal agency using AI to establish a
    dedicated civil rights office to identify, prevent, and address
    algorithmic biases, but that is just scratching the surface. We
    know that there is so much more to do, so I thank you so much
    for your time, and I yield back.
        Chairman Kiley. I will now recognize myself for 5 minutes.
    One of the reasons that I wanted to hold this hearing on AI in
    education is not only because I think the potential is so
    incredible in a specific context of education, but also because
    I think it offers a window into just how transformational the
    technological changes that we are experiencing right now are
    going to be across all sectors of society, which I think is
    something that really policymakers and the public at large is
    starting to get--to wake up to a little bit.
        That there has been, you know, some references to that
    during today's hearing, specifically Ms. Mote, you mentioned
    this is an technology on par with electricity. Ms. Rafal-Baer,
    am I saying that correctly? Close enough, Rafal-Baer, you
    mentioned that the leading labs are increasingly talking about
    the arrival of AGI, artificial general intelligence.
        I wanted to give each of you a few moments to expound on
    those ideas.
        Ms. Mote. Well, an arrival technology, right? This is
    electricity. This is the internet. This is automobiles. You
    used to have to pick up the phone and call a dispatcher to call
    a taxi. Now you can do it from your phone. Arrival technologies
    displace workers. They can require new skills and competencies,
    but they also require a level of support in disrupting of
    existing systems, so that they can be embraced across industry,
    rather than having them replace humans.
        I think the work that is happening right now in terms of
    what Congress can do, our colleagues have really mentioned the
    need for research and development, the support for public data
    and infrastructure, the need for some set of guidelines and
    guardrails, supporting educator professional development,
    providing equitable access.
        Mr. Kiley. Right.
        Ms. Mote. This body really convening collaboration and
    dialog. If we are to meet this moment, we need to do it
    together. I look forward to the opportunity.
        Mr. Kiley. Great, thank you. You bet.
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. Thank you for the opportunity to share more
    on this. I think that the fact that we are hearing over and
    over again that we are getting closer and closer to AGI is
    something that concerns me a great deal that this is not a
    conversation that is more commonplace across America right now.
        The fact that once again we are in a moment where it feels
    like we are asking our education system to take on something
    that is actually a societal issue, and I see this, and hear
    this every single day from State and district superintendents
    who earnestly want to move forward on this work, but are really
    concerned about cybersecurity and data.
        They need to have far more expertise, and that is a
    critical role of the Federal Government. That is a critical
    role of a role like a national cybersecurity director, who
    should be helping to make sure that we have the safest systems
    possible around cyber and data, so that states and districts
    can do their correct role, which is to lead these conversations
    locally.
        To make sure that they have visions around artificial
    intelligence, and the kind of workforce upskilling that is
    required that matches their local context and their local needs
    with them being able to take off their plate this level of
    expertise and oversight around keeping their systems cyber free
    in terms of cybersecurity issues.
        Chairman Kiley. Thanks very much. Mr. Chism and Dr. Dobrin,
    I wanted, if we have time permitting, to pose a question to you
    as well. There has been a lot of discussion about further
    research that is needed, some of which has already happened. If
    you could pose one kind of urgent research question when it
    comes to evaluating the effectiveness of certain AI tools, what
    would it be?
        Like one possibility for me would be the immersiveness of
    the tool. You know, you could have a sort of animated Einstein
    teach you physics. You could have a text-based Einstein teach
    you physics. If we have sufficiently developed VR, you could
    actually float through the cosmos as it happens, so that might
    be one area to look at.
        What would be the research questions that are most urgent?
        Mr. Chism. I will go ahead. I really think I love the idea,
    especially with students, but I am really focused on the
    teacher side of things because we have to have teachers to get
    to students. For me it is really teacher efficacy. I think that
    is the big thing. How can we use this to make them better and
    more efficient at what they do?
        Again, I do not have that 28, 29, 30-year veteran that
    wants to walk out the door. She wants to stay, you know, the
    teacher that I have talked about earlier, she is staying with
    us. She is not going to retire. To me it is about teacher
    efficacy, and I think that is the primary focus for me.
        Chairman Kiley. Great.
        Dr. Dobrin.
        Mr. Dobrin. I would pick up on something we have already
    been discussing, and that is access. I think there needs to be
    longer term research on not just where access is available. For
    instance, in Appalachia in the Southwest, where broadband is
    not as easily accessible, but more so what happens in the
    distinction between our students, who only have access to the
    free datasets, the free LLMs, GPT, Gemini CoPilot as opposed to
    those students who have the socioeconomic access to proprietary
    datasets, and to platforms that are more disciplinarily
    specific.
        We need to figure out the differences of what happens with
    those access points.
        Chairman Kiley. That is an interesting question. I mean one
    of the things we see happening though is that what is the paid
    tier this month is available to the free tier next month, so
    there is this sort of, you know, democratizing aspect to the
    technology. With that, the Representative from Florida, Ms.
    Wilson, is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Ms. Wilson. Thank you, Chairman Kiley, and Ranking Member
    Bonamici, for today's hearing. Thank you so much, and thank you
    to our witnesses for being here today. As you know, public
    schools are the backbone of our democracy. As AI continues to
    be implemented in our education system, we must work in
    addressing its potential and worry about the disparities that
    come with this implementation.
        Clearly, education has some big challenges with AI, but
    this Committee is missing the real crisis. The dismantling of
    the Department of Education. It is absurd to envision a bright
    future for our students when the Office of Education
    Technology, vital for AI oversight, has just been shut down.
        It is even more absurd for the Subcommittee to ignore the
    wrecking ball crushing into our public-school systems across
    the Nation right now by abolishing the Department of Education.
    This is like worrying about the ship's Wi-Fi access while the
    Titanic is sinking.
        With this, I have a few questions. Ms. Mote, can AI work
    without human input? What are the consequences of gutting the
    very workforce responsible for ensuring AI is used ethically
    and effectively?
        Ms. Mote. Can AI work without human input? No. In fact,
    generative AI and artificial intelligence systems have to be
    trained on both our responses, and the data that is being used.
    Now, let us just talk about what happens when we take away data
    that could be used to train these systems effectively alongside
    humans?
        Right now, we are seeing families lose access to
    information on the college and career scorecard, being able to
    make critical decisions about what is happening, or what
    choices they make with the loss of IPED's data, or the loss of
    Ed Facts data, where if you are moving from one community to
    the other, not being able to know the quality of your schools,
    or how to compare one school to the other.
        This vital support that is provided, not just by the humans
    who are helping guide local states, excuse me, local districts
    and states, but also that are guiding families through the
    provision of open access datasets, and knowledge is a critical
    role that if we lose our families will be less informed, our
    students will be less prepared, and our educators will be left
    without the resources they need.
        Ms. Wilson. Ms. Mote, with the Office of Civil Rights being
    sidelined or weakened, how are students, particularly those
    from marginalized communities supposed to ensure their rights
    are protected if AI tools amplify existing disparities because
    they will?
        Ms. Mote. I want to return to--I do not think an educator
    wants to harm a student, but they need to know about these
    tools. They need to know about the tools that are being used.
    They need to have research about what is the most effective
    tool in order to make the right choice for a student.
        Every educator in this country wants students to succeed. I
    know that because I meet them every single day, but they do not
    necessarily have the expertise to know that this tool or that
    tool is better, that the $99.00 edition of Khanmigo is better
    than the free tutor, and they do not have the resources to make
    those choices, and to navigate those deep, deep challenges that
    they have to meet young people.
        If we want to overcome achievement gaps, we need to make
    sure that our educators have the knowledge, expertise and
    capacity to make the right choices for students alongside
    families. That can only happen when we have that knowledge,
    when we have that capacity, that data, and that expertise.
        Ms. Wilson. Ms. Mote, how do we prevent AI from becoming
    just another tool that benefits already advantaged, and leaves
    behind the same black and brown students who have historically
    been underserved and who have no computers?
        Ms. Mote. Thank you. I think equitable access is something
    every single witness has talked about, and so I think Congress
    needs to renew their investment in public connectivity
    infrastructure. They need to have targeted programs to ensure
    that all communities have access to the technology, the
    hardware, reliable internet connectivity, and the adequate
    technical support to benefit every community in this country.
        Ms. Wilson. Thank you. I yield back.
        Chairman Kiley. The Representative from North Carolina, Mr.
    Harris, is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Harris. Thank you, Mr., Chairman, and thank you to all
    of you on the panel for the incredible testimony you have given
    today. I appreciated the opportunity to read through your
    testimony that was submitted to us prior. I have a couple of
    questions, and really the first one is going to be to you, Mr.
    Chism.
        Your written testimony mentioned that an accurate or biased
    content is a big challenge with AI adoption. As you pointed
    out, AI models are only as good as the underlying data that
    they are trained on, and that is what concerns me.
        Research from Carnegie Mellon University revealed that
    large language model bots trained on the internet since 2016,
    show more polarization than bots trained before Donald Trump's
    first election. In fact, the research also showed that bots
    trained from books were more socially conservative than bots
    trained through the internet or social media.
        There is in fact numerous examples of left leaning
    political bias that shows up when asked if a white Christian
    man should be ashamed, Google Gemini lists a variety of liberal
    buzz words like, ``systemic injustices,'' and ``marginalized
    communities.'' When asked if a black female lesbian should be
    ashamed it says, ``Absolutely not.''
        The free version of ChatGPT is unable to acknowledge Donald
    Trump as the current President. It even says that Joe Biden is
    in the White House in 2025. Now, I point all that out, Mr.
    Chism, to come back to you as superintendent of a school
    district there in Pearl, Mississippi, how do you make sure in
    that role that your district's AI use does not amplify existing
    biases, or spread false information?
        Mr. Chism. I think that is a fabulous question, and that
    has got a lot of answers to it. I will tell you that some of
    the big companies are working on this. I mean they do realize
    that some of that bias is built in. In the end, I mean there is
    going to be bias in every computer program that you create. For
    us as a district we have created our own server, so we get to
    do the training ourselves.
        I think that is one big advantage for us, and I will say we
    discussed equity as well. We are actually working with a huge
    internet company in Mississippi, Ceasefire, and we are actually
    working on trying to make our model available for all school
    districts in the State of Mississippi completely free. We are
    working on that.
        Again, is there a way to script it all out? Absolutely not.
    Not yet, but I think we are moving forward to that, so I think
    it is good training, and it is really having--its good
    communication. It is people, when they see those things happen,
    it is pointing those things out, and then we can go back and
    make adjustments to that model, even on our end, on our server.
        I can tell you again, that even using the model such as
    ChatGPT, they know that this is a problem, and they are working
    on it. I am on a computer call with them about every 2 weeks
    with Open AI, so this has been a discussion that we have had. I
    do not think there is a perfect answer for it, but I do know
    that they are working on it, and certainly that is something
    that we will monitor 24 hours a day because we want to make
    sure that the information that we get back is good.
        I will also say, even using the larger language models,
    like ChatGPT if you are on the paid version, or even the free
    version of that. You can go in and script some of this out
    yourself. You know, if you tell it how you want it to respond,
    you tell it the websites that you would like for it to go to,
    to look for information.
        You know, I have that scripted into mine, so now I know
    where that information is coming from, so I realized that now
    that information that is coming back is not from Wikipedia. It
    is good information from the sites that I determined that I
    want it to come from.
        There are ways around that, even though the model itself
    does not fix it.
        Mr. Harris. Are you finding that schools should be weary of
    the development behind the AI bots, and be selective about the
    programs they use in their schools?
        Mr. Chism. Oh, absolutely. 100 percent. I think, going
    through all of this information, and getting really good
    information. Again, if we were to go with a company, a large
    company, that would be a multi-week investigation into what
    they do and how they do it before I put it in front of kids.
        Mr. Harris. Got you. Thank you, sir. Dr. Rafal-Baer, in
    your recommendations for policymakers, you mention that the
    Federal role should be intentionally limited. I agree.
    Especially since this administration, and obviously the
    direction we are moving will be working to eliminate the
    Federal role in education entirely.
        What would you say to someone who argues that the Federal
    role should be unlimited, rather than limited, and what kind of
    detrimental effects would overregulation have on schools?
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. Well, I think we have been talking about
    this so much in this Committee. This is moving too fast. There
    is nothing that the Federal Government would put on paper that
    is not going to be outdated, even a couple of months from now.
    It is imperative that states have the ability and the
    flexibility to make these decisions within their own context
    and allowing districts the ability to innovate.
        It is critical that the Federal Government not play a role
    in defining things like AI literacy, or AI curriculum.
    Curriculum and content all should be left to local levels.
    However, I think the place that is really critical is around
    the cybersecurity and data privacy.
        Mr. Harris. OK. Well, thank you. Mr. Chairman, with that I
    yield back.
        Chairman Kiley. The Representative from North Carolina, Ms.
    Adams, is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Ms. Adams. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our
    witnesses for being here today. Last month, Charlette-
    Mecklenburg Schools, one of the largest districts in North
    Carolina, launched a bold, district wide effort to shape a
    community vision for AI in education.
        They are inviting parents and teachers and students to the
    table, not just to respond to change, but to lead it. That is
    the kind of leadership that we need. Instead, the leadership
    that we are seeing at the Federal level is tying our schools'
    hands with budget cuts, with confusion, with political agendas
    that have absolutely nothing to do with what is best for our
    most disadvantaged kids.
        The kids on free and reduced lunch, the kids who rely on
    Medicaid, the kids whose only option is public school. AI is
    already reshaping our classrooms. The real question is how are
    we helping schools use it responsibly, or are we leaving them
    to figure it out on their own?
        Here is what I have been hearing from educators, from
    parents, and my own daughter, who was a public-school
    principal. The promise of AI is real, but so are the risks. We
    have already seen cases, whereas I reiterate my colleague
    Representative Lee said, AI tools flag black parents for
    plagiarism at higher rates than their peers.
        That is not innovation, that is bias, plain and simple. Ms.
    Mote, AI is not just showing up in lesson plans. It is now
    embedded in how students are evaluated, how feedback is given,
    and how learning is tracked. How can schools ensure that AI
    tools are actually supporting equity. I know some people think
    that is a bad word, I think it is a good one, in classrooms not
    reinforcing bias?
        What role should the Federal Government play in setting
    guardrails to make sure that these schools serve all students
    fairly?
        Ms. Mote.
        Ms. Mote. Thank you. You actually offered the answer when
    you were talking about the great work that Charlotte-
    Mecklenburg is doing right now, which is building AI literacy
    with parents, with communities, with educators, and really
    putting students and parents and communities and educators at
    the center of the work that they are doing.
        You have to be able to ask questions of these tools. You
    have to be able to understand if the results that they are
    putting out from these models have inaccurate information or
    might not potentially have the right types of inputs. If we do
    not build AI literacy in our educators with our parents and
    with our communities, we are not going to be able to use these
    tools to the best of their advantage.
        Ms. Adams. Well, thank you. Thank you for your great
    comments about Charlotte Public Schools.
        Ms. Mote. They are wonderful down there at Charlotte-
    Mecklenburg.
        Ms. Adams. Our Chair of our School Board is sitting out
    here, and I am happy to see her. While Charlotte public schools
    are trying to move forward with innovation, we are facing real
    setbacks. Just last month we lost over 5 million dollars in
    Federal grants.
        Funding that helped high need schools recruit and train
    diverse teachers, and those grants were simply cut because they
    supported DEI. I still think those are good words. Let us be
    clear. Students learn best from teachers who understand them,
    who reflect their community.
        It is that kind of representation that is not a luxury in a
    district where students represent more than 175 countries, it
    is essential. Ms. Mote, we know AI is a powerful tool, but it
    does not replace teachers, especially not teachers who reflect
    the lives and identities of the students they serve.
        What are the consequences of cutting all funding for
    programs that recruit and retain diverse teachers?
        Ms. Mote. Well, I think every member of this Committee can
    say that we need to keep teachers at the center of that
    education enterprise. When we do not have teachers to serve the
    communities that they are from, when we do not have classrooms
    that are reflective of the communities that students are coming
    from, we know actually that that affects student outcomes.
        Research shows us that having a connection with an adult in
    school, not only as I shared before, reduces suicidal ideation,
    but it is the single greatest determinant of whether or not
    student learning outcomes will excel.
        Ms. Adams. Let me move on and talk about the data. Good
    policy depends on good information, but last month the Trump
    administration eliminated nearly 900 million dollars in
    contracts from the Institute of Education Sciences, the
    research arm of the Department of Education.
        That is the same office that helps districts and
    policymakers understand what is working and what is not. Ms.
    Mote, how does cutting IES funding impact the school's ability
    to use AI responsibly and equitably? Could that data gap leave
    underfunded schools even further behind?
        Ms. Mote. Yes. If we do not know what works for whom, and
    under what conditions, how can we choose the right tools for
    students from all backgrounds?
        Ms. Adams. Thank you, Ms. Mote. If we want students to
    succeed in the age of AI, we cannot just chase shiny new tools,
    we have to invest in the people, and the research and the
    infrastructure that make innovation safe and meaningful, and I
    thank you all very much. Mr. Chairman, I am going to yield back
    those few other minutes that I have. Thank you.
        Chairman Kiley. The Representative from Pennsylvania, Mr.
    Mackenzie, is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Mackenzie. Thank you to the Chairman, and I appreciate
    all of the testimony being provided today, very important
    topic. Integrating AI into our education system has huge
    potential benefit for our students. I think we are all aware
    of, even right now in its early stages, what it can do to
    increase educational opportunity and customization for
    students, so a lot of benefit there.
        We are also talking about some of the elements that we need
    to be aware of to make sure that we protect privacy and
    security for our students, great topics, but earlier we heard
    from a number of testifiers about bias that can be built into
    the AI systems that are being incorporated into the classroom.
        I think we are all aware that depending on who nurtures or
    trains the AI, they are going to end up putting out different
    results at the end of the day. Ultimately, I think what we want
    for our students is a maximally seeking truth AI. We want the
    truth to be provided to our students, so it should not be a
    corporation. It should not be a foreign entity that is maybe
    weighing in on the results that are coming from AI.
        It should not even be a politician on this panel saying
    that we need to reweigh results, so that we get the accurate
    outcome that we want for our students. How do we, and how
    should everybody be thinking about what AI we are selecting?
    What actual critiques or reviews of that AI is being made
    available publicly when we see that bias or misinformation is
    being included in results?
        How does that get communicated to the decisionmakers in
    school districts or local entities that are actually picking
    the AI systems? I will go first to Dr. Rafal-Baer.
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. Thank you so much, and incredibly
    thoughtful. I think there is a couple of layers to that answer.
    I think from our perspective we think states having AI
    assurance labs is one place to be able to examine this. Having
    one place where the public has a level of transparency about
    how the model on the front end before it is approved for use,
    what it has gone through to be rigorously tested.
        Then in an ongoing way, looking at the outputs of the
    model, knowing that these models evolve overtime as people are
    using them. I think you are also hitting a larger topic that we
    have talked about a few times, about AGI. What happens when we
    get to a place where we are working alongside models that are
    doing things at the same level of humans, knowing that there
    are levels of bias within that?
        I think that is where the importance of critical thinking,
    and helping to really infuse in our students, understanding
    about ethics, and ethical considerations is such a critical
    role of our K-12 system. To be able to make sure that we are
    bringing those conversations often into these community
    engagement sessions in thinking about this.
        We will never get rid of bias, but we can help to make sure
    we are shaping a generation of learners who deeply understand
    the power and importance of human relationship, and when and
    where to use AI and under what conditions, and how to evaluate
    those outputs consistently.
        Mr. Mackenzie. I will go to anybody else on the panel. Do
    you guys have any thoughts or are there resources available
    where people can go and see which AI systems are actually
    providing on a whole, collectively, maximally truth-seeking
    information? I think this is going to be a real challenge for
    everybody that is adopting this to have this kind of decision
    made in a classroom.
        It is akin to selecting your curriculum, or your textbooks.
    At the same time there is a lot less information out there
    right now about these AI systems. How do you as educators see
    that?
        Mr. Dobrin. I think that is a fantastic question, and I
    want to reinforce what Dr. Rafal-Baer has said. I think there
    is a step back in asking that question. I think making the
    analogue to textbooks is very important because we are going to
    have to think about adoption in the classroom of various
    platforms in the same way we think about curricular options of
    textbooks, both in finance models and in content models.
        I think an answer to your bigger question, this is where
    the importance of demystifying these tools becomes critical. If
    we are going to move into the critical thinking position about
    having students be able to evaluate the information that is put
    before them, they first have to understand how those systems
    work. What an LLM does, where the data is pulled from, so that
    they can begin those evaluative processes. In other words, by
    demystifying the function of a generative AI tech, allows the
    student then to see the working model and understand these are
    now the questions I have to ask.
        As to resources for identifying which platforms are more
    viable than others, the first thing we have to acknowledge is
    that what we need is more research and development for
    platforms specifically designed for education. We do a lot in
    education of retrofitting to technologies that have already
    existed and put in play in industry and other places.
        We actually need platforms that are designed for education
    specifically. This is why Mr. Chism's approach to having his
    own independent server and his own model is a very kind of
    forward-thinking model. I think the demystification process is
    critical.
        Mr. Mackenzie. Well, I will wrap up. We are over time, but
    I want to thank all of you again for your very thoughtful input
    today. I think this is again, an incredibly important topic as
    we look to advance education in our country, and I appreciate
    particularly that last point about demystifying the systems
    because I'll date myself very quickly here.
        When I was growing up, scientific calculators were a new
    invention, but at the same time we were always trained to
    actually understand the fundamentals and the processes before
    we used the scientific calculators to get the answer in a
    quicker fashion. Thank you again, and I yield back.
        Chairman Kiley. The Representative from Illinois, Ms.
    Miller is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mrs. Miller. Thank you and thank you to all the witnesses
    who have come. This is a very interesting conversation. Mr.
    Chism, we have heard a lot about the potential benefits of AI
    in schools, but one of the longstanding priorities of this
    Committee has been student privacy.
        There is a lot that people do not understand, or were
    rightly concerned about when it comes to AI's impact on student
    privacy. You mentioned this a bit in your testimony, but what
    student privacy pitfalls do you think districts should be aware
    of, and how has your district handled this?
        Mr. Chism. That is a great question, and again, student
    privacy, we have to file under FERPA law, so we have got to
    make sure we are in compliance with that. It is real simple. I
    do not want to make this--over simplify this, but it really is
    simple.
        If you are using a public entity, I do not care if it is
    Open AI, Grok, any of these others, you cannot put student
    identifiable information on it, or teacher identifiable
    information. Really teaching people to scrub files, that is the
    biggest thing if you are going to use an Excel file that has
    this information, knowing what you need to take out.
        That is a way that we handle that if you are using
    something like Open AI. However, we alleviate that by using our
    own server. I do not have to worry about FERPA laws because it
    does not face the internet in any way, shape or form. Again, we
    have done trainings with teachers and administrators. We can
    put any file that we want on our own server, and we do not ever
    have to worry about student privacy there because it is housed
    on our own campuses, so we do not have to worry about that.
        I think that is a way to do that. Again, that is a pretty
    expensive way to do it. However, on the flip side, if you are
    using this as a district, such as with Open AI, you are
    eventually going to start having to pay for tokens. In the end
    we, as a district, have decided that it is going to be more
    cost-effective to just go ahead and pay for our own server,
    than try to pay for tokens with one of those as well.
        I hope that answers your question. That is the crux of what
    we do. It is good training first, if you are using a public
    server. Then on the other side, we just create our own, so we
    alleviate the problem altogether.
        Mrs. Miller. Thank you. I appreciate how you are leading
    the way there. Mr. Chism, I have another question. One of the
    most frequent concerns we hear about AI in schools is that
    students will use AI as a crutch. For example, students will
    ask AI to write their essays or answer their homework
    questions.
        I know there are limits to how much a school district can
    do, especially once a student goes home for the day, but how
    are you thinking through these challenges?
        Mr. Chism. That is probably my favorite question. Really,
    we have to rethink what we do in education. I told our teachers
    in all of the presentations that I do that we have got to
    rethink what we do in the classroom. Basically, we have to
    control the 8 hours that we have.
        We cannot worry about other things outside of school
    because understand, they are going to use it, so really, we
    need a heavier focus on what we do in the classroom and control
    the 8 hours that we have. That means heavier weighting on
    grades for the things that we do in classrooms.
        It means that again, we have to shift, instead of sending
    things home for kids to write, we need to take care of those
    things within the classroom, and worry about the controllables,
    and again, we cannot worry about what happens outside. We just
    have to shift our focus to things like having projects done in
    class, or having students explain their work.
        Why do I care where the information came from if the
    student can actually give that information back and teach
    someone else? They know the material. That is the ultimate
    thing that we are trying to do within the district, so control
    the 8 hours that we have.
        Mrs. Miller. Thank you. Dr. Dobrin, one especially exciting
    aspect of the AI adoption is the potential that this technology
    can transform education for special needs students, and I have
    two grandsons with special needs. For instance, AI powered
    programs can facilitate speech detects software, or help
    visually impaired students participate more fully in class. Can
    you talk more about how AI is being used to practically enhance
    special ed?
        Mr. Dobrin. Yes, thank you for that question. The first
    thing I need to say is that I do not have experience in special
    education specifically, and Ms. Mote earlier had addressed some
    of this, and so I defer to her on that.
        What you are talking about specifically are assistive
    technologies. For me, in terms of special needs students, and
    also really for any student, one of the most enriching
    possibilities that we are seeing with AI right now is in
    customized learning pathways. The ability for a student to move
    through information and content, and all the things associated
    with education in a way that is more effective for that
    learner.
        Now, I tend to also put a stop gap on where that becomes
    beneficial once we get past higher ed into credentialing, but I
    think that customized learning pathways right now are one of
    the most important things we are developing, particularly in
    terms of real time assessment, and the ability for students in
    that moment of assessment to adjust their learning path to see
    I did not understand this concept. I now have this other way of
    learning about it.
        That to me is one of the most important things we are
    doing.
        Mrs. Miller. Thank you and I yield back.
        Chairman Kiley. I will now recognize the Ranking Member of
    the Full Committee, Mr. Scott.
        Mr. Scott. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Mote, I think it is
    clear that there are some benefits and some concerns about AI.
    Some of the benefits--is there any question that AI can expand
    the capability of a classroom teacher? If so, are there other
    areas where it is particularly good or bad--language, math,
    science?
        Ms. Mote. Well, I am under the idea that AI literacy is a
    foundational literacy, and frankly, AI itself is the best
    revenge of English teachers because it is all about how do you
    ask good questions? When we think about how to build literacy
    across our disciplines, if we really want to realize the
    productivity gains that Mr. Chism is talking about, we want to
    think through ways that we can support students with
    disabilities, particularly around early screeners for dyslexia.
        I am the mom of a dyslexic student. It would have been so
    much more valuable if I could have had my son screened earlier,
    so that I could have intervened earlier. AI is allowing
    teachers to take that practice that used to take weeks into an
    afternoon, as long as they keep a human in the loop.
        For me, building that competency, across all disciplines,
    is what we need to meet this moment, Mr. Scott.
        Mr. Scott. You have cautioned about leaving out human
    interaction. Do you have to choose between AI and human
    interaction?
        Ms. Mote. No. Actually, that is not what AI models want you
    to do. AI models want you to put your human interactions into
    them, so they get smarter and can be trained faster. When we
    talk about intelligent tutors adapting to students' language,
    or identifying dialectical differences, it is because the AI is
    actually trying to learn from the interaction that it is having
    with a person.
        Mr. Scott. Now, can the AI help with assessing the progress
    of a student in the classroom?
        Ms. Mote. This is a place I think we need to be cautious. I
    think we always need to have a human in the loop, particularly
    when it comes to assessment. Tools have shown that they
    disproportionately flag students for cheating when they have
    not cheated by race or by dialectical difference, for example,
    our rural students.
        I think we need to be cautious when we think about
    assessments, and make sure that we are engaging humans.
        Mr. Scott. One of the access questions is obviously cost.
    How much does all of this cost if you are integrating AI into
    the classroom? Is it very expensive?
        Ms. Mote. Well, I think Mr. Chism talked a little bit about
    the costs that he has taken on in terms of buying a server and
    buying technology. It is not just those hardware costs, Mr.
    Scott, it is the training that you need to do. It is the
    education. I think we are in a situation right now where
    whether you have access to an intelligent tutor like Khanmigo
    is about $99.00 a student.
        I know that that is a decision some school districts cannot
    make right now because they are constrained when it comes to
    resources and support. It is not just about the tool it is
    about the training that has to go alongside of it.
        Mr. Scott. I guess getting benefits to everyone on an
    equitable basis, what are some of the other barriers?
        Ms. Mote. Yes. I think when we think about AI's use in
    education, we are going to have to really think about a
    partnership. A partnership with families and communities. A
    partnership with students, and frankly a partnership with
    industry.
        Industry is trying right now to do work to make their tools
    more safe, more effective, more transparent, more reliable, but
    they need help in terms of guidelines and guardrails. If
    industry has to conform to 50 different states privacy laws,
    data laws, or AI laws, imagine what that means for an economy
    of scale, or equitable access to tools.
        If we are going to ask everybody to build an AI tool for
    the State of Delaware, the State of Virginia, or the State of
    Colorado, we miss the opportunity frankly, to be able to
    appreciate the richness and diversity that we have in the
    United States.
        Mr. Scott. Bias has been mentioned. There are a number of
    ways that bias can pop up in AI. Can you talk about that in the
    remaining time?
        Ms. Mote. In 30 seconds, OK. I will just give one example.
    You know, I think as I said, AI looks for the interactions that
    it has with humans, and so there are some really great research
    studies that have been done that when an AI tool is trained,
    for example, on just assessment, it does not flag students more
    or less from one background.
        If somebody uses a word like y'all, which I use all the
    time, it flags that student potentially for cheating.
    Dialectical difference, not just race or socioeconomic status,
    are things we need to be paying attention to.
        Mr. Scott. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Kiley. The Representative from Guam, Mr. Moylan,
    is recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Moylan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Emerging AI
    technologies have the potential to enhance our quality of life
    in many ways, especially in increasing efficiency and learning
    outcomes for students. AI may also provide innovative support
    for students who need individualized learning plans, especially
    for special education.
        However, we must be aware of the risk of these
    technologies, especially with privacy concerns. Proper safety
    protocols can mitigate many of these risks, and best practice
    guidance are being constantly issued to mitigate these risks.
    As we enter the future economy, preparing our youth to enter
    the workforce where employers are increasingly interested in AI
    into their business models, it is especially important.
        Many paths toward high-earning jobs exist. AI and computer
    science can offer alternative paths toward high-skilled
    employment, where many opportunities do not necessarily require
    a traditional 4-year degree to participate. For my first
    question, Dr. Rafal-Baer, you mentioned that implementing AI
    should reflect the priorities of each community.
        As employers begin adopting more and more AI tools into
    their business, it is critical that we ensure our students are
    ready to join the modern workforce. Can you talk specifically
    about what kind of AI skills employers are looking for?
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. Yes, thank you. I think we think about this
    generation who is going to be moving on. The thing that they
    are going to be most critically asked about is just their basic
    foundations around AI, understanding what it is, how it works,
    its limitations, its risks, and being able to communicate about
    that.
        I think what we are going to see over time is much more of
    a desire for our education setting to take on more of the AI
    literacy work, to evolve from what has been digital literacy,
    which we are now well past, and really starting to understand
    how to work alongside AI, what use cases are appropriate, and
    then how to always think about the relationship with other
    humans.
        We know how important it is to be able to have
    relationships to grow high growth, high-impact teams, and
    increasingly those kinds of skills are going to have to be ones
    that we are reinforcing in an AI age. The last thing I would
    say I think in all of this it is going to be just a huge
    undergrounding feeling around ethics.
        I think employers are going to want to know that students
    are graduating with a keen understanding about ethical
    considerations. That is something that gets infused throughout
    the curriculum. It is not one subject area's domain, but it is
    why deep stakeholder engagement matters so much, to surface the
    kinds of ethical questions that are being asked and then use
    that in real world ways in the classroom.
        Mr. Moylan. Thank you. For Dr. Dobrin, in your testimony
    you mentioned that AI literacy is crucial for students entering
    the workforce. Teaching AI may come with many challenges, and
    education leaders might now know the best way to begin.
        What advice would you give our teachers and education
    officials that want to ensure that students are equipped with
    skills employers need?
        Mr. Dobrin. Thank you, yes. The first place I would begin,
    and it has been mentioned several times, is this concept of AI
    literacy, which I think we actually, and I have written about
    this. We need to expand into AI literacy, AI competencies, and
    AI fluencies, because different work paths require different
    levels of skillsets specifically from AI.
        In the work that I do with industry, usually the No. 1
    topic, and it has come up here several times that employers are
    looking for is data security, particularly when they are
    working with their own proprietary datasets. My advice, very
    specifically, and I work with lots of educators about this, is
    that we adopt a model that we have used in the United States
    for a long time that I call industry to curriculum.
        What that means is understanding where industry--a specific
    industry, is deploying AI and how, and then adjusting our
    curriculum to that. We can see this in a lot of the disciplines
    we teach, particularly in higher ed, nursing, law, engineering,
    these are disciplines that are designed to provide credentials
    toward specific industries.
        Once the industries start determining what exactly they are
    looking for in terms of AI skills, then we adopt curriculum to
    that as a way to move education into workplace development.
        Mr. Moylan. Excellent, thank you. Last question, Dr. Rafal-
    Baer, your professional background is in special education. Can
    you speak more about how educators can leverage AI tools to
    tailor plans for students enrolled in special ed?
        Ms. Rafal-Baer. I think one of the most exciting places on
    this is both the ability for educators and caregivers to work
    together, and to use AI to help to simplify what can sometimes
    feel like a lot of jargon and technical language and can make
    it difficult to best support students.
        Then for educators, being able to effectively communicate
    and provide tips and ways in which families can work at home to
    best support the students, and over time, and provide real
    pathways.
        Mr. Moylan. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, thank you
    panel.
        Chairman Kiley. Thank you very much to all of our
    witnesses, and I will now recognize Ranking Member Bonamici for
    a closing statement.
        Ms. Bonamici. Thank you, Mr., Chairman, but thank you
    especially to the witnesses for traveling here for your
    testimony and brining your expertise on this excellent panel.
    As we conclude, one thing is abundantly clear, artificial
    intelligence will play a significant role in shaping the future
    of education, and we should be breaking down, rather than
    creating barriers for the students and the educators who are
    navigating this transformation.
        AI and education presents tremendous opportunities, but
    also serious challenges as we heard. If implemented
    responsibly, it has the potential to enhance learning, provide
    personalized instruction, equip students with the skills they
    need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
        Without guardrails, we will see decreasing access to
    opportunity, a deepening of inequities we are trying to
    overcome, and risk serious privacy and security breaches. The
    Department of Education has been instrumental in closing
    opportunity gaps, providing students in low-income and rural
    communities, and students with disabilities with access to the
    resources they need.
        Stripping away these protections, whether they be through
    the dismantling with the Department of Education's Office of
    Educational Technologies, or cuts to Title I, or IDEA, or the
    weakening of the Office of Civil Rights. These would all be a
    grave mistake.
        The Federal Government would be leaving schools to navigate
    these challenges, exacerbating disparities and failing the very
    students who rely most on Federal support, as we have heard
    particularly low-income students, and students with
    disabilities.
        We have seen this play out before when the digital divide
    threatened to leave millions of students behind in the early
    days of the internet. It was Federal leadership that helped
    bridge the gap. We cannot repeat history by allowing AI to
    widen existing inequities.
        Instead, we must guarantee that every student, no matter
    their ZIP Code, has access to the tools and knowledge they need
    to succeed in the classrooms and careers of tomorrow. I know
    this is the K-12 Subcommittee, but as also a member of the
    Higher Education Committee we talked about workforce, but one
    of the things I do want to mention, and I think our witnesses
    made a great case for it today when we got a head of an English
    department and someone who is talking a lot about ethics.
        We have got Dr. Dobrin and Dr. Rafal-Baer. Tech executives
    I have heard recently say we do not need just computer science
    majors and people who code. We need people who are philosophers
    and ethicists as well, as we navigate these serious challenges.
    The stakes could not be higher. We cannot afford to get this
    wrong. I urge my colleagues to stand with us and defend public
    education, protect vital resources, and provide every student
    with a fair shot at success, and I look forward to the
    continued conversation. Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, and I
    yield back.
        Chairman Kiley. Thanks very much. I think this has been a
    great hearing. I think that we have moved the ball forward,
    improving a bit our institutional understanding of a phenomenon
    that is really beyond any of our full understanding, but that
    we urgently need to grapple with, nonetheless.
        Ms. Mote likened AI to electricity and being what she
    called an arrival technology. Ms. Rafal-Baer noted that the
    arrival of AGI, artificial general intelligence, could be
    coming sooner than has been thought. This is defined
    differently by different people, who generally refers to a
    system that develops capabilities that exceed human
    capabilities across any domain.
        The conversation about this has been largely limited to the
    leading labs and those who follow them, but it is something
    that needs to--that we all need to be part of throughout the
    country, given the profound impacts it is going to have on all
    of our lives.
        Today specifically, we have gotten a window into how the
    possibilities offered by AI and education. I think that the
    main takeaway today is that those possibilities really are
    boundless. Mr. Chism noted that education is often the last
    change when it comes to technology, or perhaps really anything
    else, but that really cannot be the case here.
        I think we already know enough to know that those schools,
    those districts, those states that adopt and integrate AI in
    the right ways are going to do very well by their students.
    They are going to propel student success and are going to
    outperform those jurisdictions that do not.
        By the way, in other countries like China, has been very
    focused on this topic, and so our global competitiveness is at
    stake as well. Of course, in order to do this effectively, we
    do need to have professional development, which is why I think
    what Mr. Chism has been doing throughout Mississippi is
    fantastic, that supports teachers.
        We learned today that most teachers still are not getting
    training when it comes to integrating AI. I agree with Mr.
    Mannion fully, who said that AI can support and not supplant
    teachers.
        In fact, we had a great story from Mr. Chism about a
    teacher who was going to retire because of all the hours they
    put in in grading, and that AI was able to entice her to stay
    in the classroom because it allowed her to focus on the aspects
    of teaching that she loved, and that made the biggest
    difference.
        Another thing I think we heard today that I agree with, is
    that there is a pressing need for more research when it comes
    to how AI is being deployed, and the ways in which it can be
    deployed most effectively, what modalities are most effective,
    what parts of the traditional lesson plan it is best
    incorporated into.
        As in all things education, it is best when we have
    measurable outcomes, and then can let that guy, our pedagogy
    going forward. Ms. Rafal-Baer has noted about everything going
    on at the State level in terms of research. I think that there
    perhaps is a Federal rule here as well, at least for the sort
    of thing we are doing today for coordination, for sharing best
    practices.
        I think Ms. Rafal-Baer mentioned having a summit of some
    kind, which I think is a great idea. Then you also mentioned,
    Ms. Rafal-Baer, the importance of local engagement as well with
    stakeholders, with parents, with the community. If the question
    of efficacy that research can answer, but there is also the
    question of values, making sure that these technologies are
    being integrated in classrooms in ways that are constant with
    the values of the surrounding community.
        This is actually a topic that is broadly applicable to AI
    in many facets of society. Actually, in 2018, I was a member of
    the California legislature. I sponsored a resolution about the
    benefits of AI, but how we needed to make sure it was
    consistent with human values as the adoption spread.
        Education provides a very important example of that. We
    have talked today about Ms. Mote, which mentioned the idea of
    keeping humans in the loop, which I think is a useful concept,
    and how there really still is no replacement for human
    interaction in many domains in society, and many parts of our
    lives, and that is probably true most of all when it comes to
    education, given the formative nature of education for young
    people.
        We also talked about values related to data and privacy,
    which Ms. Miller, among others mentioned, and then sort of both
    sides mentioned different takes on the question of bias, and
    how we need to make sure that there are safeguards in place, so
    that there is not bias incorporated, as we use AI tools.
        Finally, I think that, you know, perhaps the biggest
    takeaway from the specific perspective of education policy
    today is the enormous potential that AI has to expand
    opportunity to close achievement gaps, to democratize access to
    the very best instruction.
        We, for too long in this country, have had these terrible
    achievement gaps where opportunity is a product of where you
    live, and where you grow up. In my view, that is a result of
    poor policy choices that have been made over the course of many
    years and decades. Perhaps not all of my colleagues will agree
    with me on that, but I would hope that we could find some
    common ground on this issue.
        That we should all be excited about tools that allow for
    instruction to be tailored and in an individualized way.
    Several people, including Ms. Miller, Mr. Thompson, mentioned
    the unique potential to assist students with special needs in
    this area, and the ability to have this individualized
    instruction that is, you know, mindful of a student's strengths
    and weaknesses, the prior knowledge that they bring to bear,
    their interests even, has extraordinary potential.
        I want to thank Mr. Dobrin as well for his discussion of
    how all of this can also democratize access to the sort of
    skills that are successful--that are needed for success in the
    workplace.
        Thank you again everyone. Thank you for some who endured
    long travels to be here, and I think it was a great hearing,
    and I look forward to continuing this conversation going
    forward. The Subcommittee stands adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 12:21 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]

        [Questions and responses submitted for the record by Ms.
    Erin Mote follows:]
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                           [all]