President Donald Trump has signed an executive order titled, “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth,” to create new opportunities focused on AI in K-12 schools.
Trump’s executive order seeks to establish AI literacy as a national educational priority in the U.S. schools, “to ensure the United States remains a global leader in this technological revolution,” the White House announced on Wednesday.
“We must provide our nation’s youth with opportunities to cultivate the skills and understanding necessary to use and create the next generation of AI technology,” the Trump administration said.
AI is “rapidly transforming the modern world, driving innovation across industries, enhancing productivity, and reshaping the way we live and work,” the White House noted, adding that it is therefore essential to foster “AI competency” to “equip our students with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to adapt to and thrive in an increasingly digital society.”
Rather than shunning AI or limiting the technology to specialized elective studies, the Trump administration seeks to transform education by implementing AI courses throughout core curriculum, ensuring U.S. students become AI literate — no matter what their career paths — as AI is expected to someday be integrated in every facet of society.
Early learning and exposure prepares students “to become active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future and nurturing the next generation of American AI innovators” which will “propel our nation to new heights of scientific and economic achievement,” the White House said.
The Trump administration asserted the U.S. must “invest in our educators and equip them with the tools and knowledge to not only train students about AI, but also to utilize AI in their classrooms to improve educational outcomes.”
“Professional development programs focused on AI education will empower educators to confidently guide students through this complex and evolving field,” the White House added.
Trump’s executive order calls for the creation of a White House Task Force on AI Education responsible for implementing the stated policy and establishing a “Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge” in which students and educators compete to showcase their AI skills.
The order also directs the Task Force to improve education through artificial intelligence, enhance training for educators on AI, and promote registered apprenticeships.
Improving education through AI includes providing “resources for K-12 AI education,” and establishing “public-private partnerships with leading AI industry organizations, academic institutions, nonprofit entities, and other organizations with expertise in AI” to “collaboratively develop online resources focused on teaching K-12 students foundational AI literacy and critical thinking skills.”
The Task Force is also directed to work on “utilizing industry commitments and identify any federal funding mechanisms, including discretionary grants, that can be used to provide resources for K-12 AI education.”
Enhancing training for educators on AI involves “providing professional development for all educators, so they can integrate the fundamentals of AI into all subject areas,” and “providing professional development in foundational computer science and AI” so that educators can effectively teach the material.
Promoting registered apprenticeships includes “prioritizing the development and growth of registered apprenticeships in AI-related occupations” and directs the Secretary of Labor to “establish specific goals for growing registered apprenticeships in AI-related occupations across industries.”
Moreover, the Secretary of Labor is also directed to use apprenticeship intermediary contracts and allocate existing discretionary funds to “engage industry organizations and employers” and “facilitate the development of registered apprenticeship programs” in relevant occupations.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
