BESE is committed to assuring that Louisiana education is on the cutting edge of technology, especially in the field of AI.

As we all know, though its applications are far from mature, AI has exploded on the scene. We also know that as a society we are far from settling on the moral and ethical aspects of AI in daily life, and especially in education. That being said, for America to maintain its dominant place in the world and for Louisiana to be a leader in industry and education, as rapidly as possible we must move forward with the implementation of AI.

To us on BESE there are two aspects that apply to K-12 education in Louisiana.

First, we must investigate and adopt cutting edge AI tools for use in the school and classroom. In many of our schools we have already undertaken two AI based trials. We are closely monitoring the results of these, and we are actively investigating other options. Flexibility and creativity to adopt and modify AI based tools is an important aspect of anything that we do.

The other aspect is that we must teach AI as a skill set for our students. For decades we have focused on understanding the fundamentals of computer science and on how to use commercial applications, but, unheard of even a few years ago, AI has now added a whole new layer of required knowledge for young people. This is especially true of students entering technical fields, but practically it is true for all students.

In order to lead our peer states, Louisiana needs an aggressive vision of how AI will best benefit our students and be of best utility in their education.

That is our job on BESE.

We must create that vision, we are committed to do so. It is the job of the Department of Education and the local schools and districts to adopt and implement the aspects of that vision.