Trump's New Draft Executive Order Intends to Incorporate Artificial Intelligence into K-12 Schooling
Laid-Back Look at the AI-Focused Education Executive Order
Schools across the United States are often yanked for basics like pencils, and the new education secretary is working on a promise from President Trump to pull the feds out of education - except for yanking funds from universities who exercise free speech rights.
But here's where things get interesting: a new draft executive order wants to amp up AI in classrooms by swiping federal funds to cultivate "AI literacy" among students and educators.
Known as "Encouraging AI Education for Young Americans," the order acknowledges that AI is squashing the competition across industries, boosting productivity, and shaking up the way we live and work.
It adds, "To keep the U.S. in the driver's seat in this technological race, we gotta give youngsters the chance to develop the skills needed to use and create the next wave of AI tech."
The order might well be the Trump administration's response to China, who recently announced plans to stomp AI apps into textbooks and curriculum. Nowadays, the two countries are locked in a fierce battle for the top spot in artificial intelligence, with China determined to bump the United States off its perch as the world leader.
The presidential order will create an AI Education Task Force, nabbing members from the tech community, such as Michael Kratsios, head honcho at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Trump's crypto and AI advisor, David Sacks.
In publishing the order, the Trump administration could still cause a stir, as the document is still in draft form and might never see the light of day. Here's a little more from the Washington Post on the U.S. executive order and its AI-forward ambitions:
The draft order instructs government agencies to woo public-private partnerships with academia, industries, and non-profit groups, focusing on AI programs that teach students "fundamental AI literacy and critical thinking skills."
The order encourages the task force to search for existing government funding - such as grants - that can be reallocated for AI projects. Furthermore, agencies must prioritize spending on AI education.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon is tasked with prioritizing grant funding for training teachers specifically in AI, including administrative tasks and evaluation methods. All educators are to undergo professional development to incorporate AI into all subjects, the draft order states.
It's a bit ironic that "AI" and "critical thinking" warrant the same breath, as they're usually mutually exclusive concepts.
A study by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University, released earlier this year, discovered that "trusting the accuracy of AI assistants results in thinking less critically about the tools' conclusions." It's not surprising that experts in the dev community have sounded the alarm that new coders merely accept the answers spit out by AI rather than gaining a real understanding of coding. Some users, for example, on platform X, are even leaning on AI chatbots to generate counterarguments for debates without checking the accuracy of the information they're spreading.
There's not necessarily an issue if measures are taken to make AI tools a genuine asset for students. For example, AI can help sift through giant piles of data quickly or translate old works into English. Companies are even working on bespoke AI tutors that create personalized learning tracks for students.
But it's fair to be skeptical about whether technologically-challenged schools will integrate AI correctly. Most people still don't understand how AI models work, and there's a risk that educators will rely on the illusion that AI is "thinking" because of its human-ish design. With distracted students glued to smartphones, schools are struggling just to keep their attention in class, much less finding ways to properly capitalize on tech resources.
McMahon proved this disconnect recently when she confused the term "artificial intelligence" with "A1," the steak sauce. Good luck with ChatGPT, o4-mini!
AI Education Enrichment Insights:
The U.S. executive order on AI education, signed by President Donald Trump on April 23, 2025, aims to promote fundamental AI literacy and innovation across several key areas:
- Esports and AI: The order focuses on creating sports arenas for student-led AI projects in esports and gaming, fostering collaboration and innovation in AI development[3][4].
- AI Ethics and Policy: The task force is to develop guidelines for responsible AI development and policy recommendations for the government, ensuring that AI is used ethically and equitably[3][5].
- Research and Development: The order encourages research and development in AI, focusing on addressing barriers to AI adoption and fostering partnerships between academia, industries, and government organizations[3][4].
- Teacher Professional Development: Agencies are tasked with creating resources and opportunities for teachers to develop their AI teaching skills, ensuring that educators have the tools needed to effectively integrate AI into their teaching methods[4].
- Privacy and Security: The order emphasizes the importance of maintaining privacy and security in AI education, including protecting students' data and promoting transparency in AI systems[3][5].
Concerns about implementation include equity and access, the need for effective teacher preparation, potential biases in AI systems, and the impact on traditional teaching methods. The order's success will rely on addressing these challenges and ensuring the responsible adoption of AI in U.S. classrooms.
- Gizmodo reported on the draft executive order that aims to boost AI literacy among students and educators, titled "Encouraging AI Education for Young Americans."
- The order emphasizes the importance of AI in the future of education and technology, recognizing its potential impact on various industries and the need to maintain the U.S.'s competitive edge against countries like China.
- The order creates an AI Education Task Force, composed of members from the tech community, such as Michael Kratsios and David Sacks, to oversee the implementation of AI education programs nationwide.
- To ensure AI education is accessible and equitable, the order encourages reallocating existing government funding for AI projects and provides grant funding for teacher training in AI, with a focus on incorporating AI into all subjects. However, concerns about implementation include potential biases in AI systems and the impact on traditional teaching methods.
