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If there was a word that meant both excitement and fear, that neologism would best describe the mood many teachers and education leaders have toward generative AI. (The word “jittery” doesn’t quite capture the mix, which includes both the giddiness of having a new toy to play with and a nagging worry that this amazing toy might somehow accidentally break all other playthings.)

A new guide designed to support developers building AI tools for education was released by the U.S. Department of Education this week and it addresses this duality head-on, blending optimism for how new AI tech might lead to improvements in education and frank talk about the serious potential risks. 

That tone is perhaps best captured in a quote cited in the guide’s conclusion, by Patrick Gittisriboongul, Assistant Superintendent of Lynwood Unified School District in California:

“Would I buy a generative AI product? Yes!” he said. “But there’s none I am ready to adopt today because of unresolved issues of equity of access, data privacy, bias in the models, security, safety, and a lack of a clear research base and evidence of efficacy.” 

That’s a long list of concerns. And there are real-life instances that illustrate those risks. For instance, the guide says there have already been publicly reported examples of generative AI producing output that describes “historical figures who never existed and give wrong answers to math problems.”

The document laid out the department’s vision for a world in which edtech companies develop systems to “ensure responsibility” as they experiment with innovative approaches involving generative AI. Some key steps noted in the guide include voluntary commitments, clear communication around the use of AI and participation in public forums.

The guide is organized around five key recommendations:

1. Design for education 
2. Provide evidence of rationale and impact 
3. Advance equity and protect civil rights 
4. Ensure safety and security 
5. Promote transparency and earn trust 

The 45-page guide is not a work of regulation or a detailing of legal requirements, the document makes clear. 

The new guide supplements a 2023 report by the department, “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations.” And it comes in response to an executive order issued by President Biden in October 2023 urging the “safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of artificial intelligence.”

The importance of “earning the public trust” emerges as a thread throughout the new guide’s recommendations, as a way to meet this moment of hope and concern. 

“The Department envisions a healthy edtech ecosystem highlighting mutual trust amongst those who offer, those who evaluate or recommend, and those who procure and use technology in educational settings,” the guide concludes. “Developers should take precautions to design AI-enabled educational systems for safety, security, and to earn the public’s trust.”

📣 TOP STORIES

PSYCHOLOGIST SHORTAGE: With more immigrant children entering U.S. classrooms, school districts find themselves in need of bilingual professionals where they hadn’t before. That includes one of the positions that’s hardest to fill: school psychologists. What makes the job of evaluating English learners for possible special education needs uniquely challenging? 

WHY THEY TEACH: For the last year, EdSurge has been showcasing students enrolled in teacher preparation programs to understand who is going into teaching today — and why. As we close out that series, we’ve rounded up five takeaways from our reporting, which features interviews with 10 future teachers. 

Sponsored by Imagine Learning

MATERIALS MATTER: Teachers often spend significant time researching and creating their own instructional materials, which can lead to variability in educational quality and consistency. Many states and school districts in the U.S. are increasingly prioritizing the adoption of high-quality instructional materials to support teachers and enhance student learning outcomes.

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🎧 ON THE PODCAST

PULL YOURSELF UP?: What the odd and surprising history of 'pulling yourself up by your bootstraps' says about educational equity. This is the first episode in our Bootstraps podcast series on merit, myths and education. This is an encore of an episode that first ran in 2021.

🗞️ IN OTHER NEWS

TRADE-OFFS: These days, more parents are withdrawing their children from school. For some Black families, homeschool or microschools are an attractive alternative to public and private schools, which they feel are hostile to their experiences. But according to one mother, each option has its own trade-offs. 

EMPTY CHAIRS: Experts argue that relationships are the key to pulling absent students back into the classroom. But how does missing so much school shape those relationships? When students miss classes often, their teachers begin to think of them as less capable in math and language and less committed to learning, according to a new study. 

🔗 WHAT WE'RE READING

Do we need a ‘Common Core’ for data science education? (Hechinger Report)

Students target teachers in a group TikTok attack, shaking their school. (The New York Times)

LAUSD shelves its hyped AI chatbot to help students after the collapse of the firm that made it. (Los Angeles Times)

📈 STORY IN A STAT

2,739

The average number of edtech tools that K-12 school districts access during a school year, according to a new report published by Instructure. That’s 8 percent more than the previous school year. (eSchool News)

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Professional Learning Associate | Albert | Remote

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World Sciene Scholars Program Manager | World Science Festival | New York, NY

The World Science Festival’s educational arm, World Science U, is hiring a Program Manager to oversee the unique World Science Scholars program.

Senior Manager Advanced Technology and Innovative Learning | Milpitas Unified School District |  Milpitas, CA

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Senior Manager, Advanced Technology and Innovative Learning to help lead the district and technology services in our dynamic and forward-thinking school district. 

Digital Asset Manager Librarian | Brainscape | Remote

Brainscape is a web and mobile education platform that allows students, teachers, and corporate trainers to study and create adaptive electronic flashcards, and to find flashcards created by other users and publishers around the world.

U.S. Community Partnerships Specialist | Technovation | Remote

Technovation is looking for an advocate for meaningful girls STEM education to help organizations meet their tech and entrepreneurship education goals - and eventually close the gender gap in STEM!

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EdLeader21 Annual Event by Battelle for Kids is an engaging and inspiring experience exclusively for network member districts to accelerate future-ready learning for every student in the only national network dedicated to Portrait of a Graduate.

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