BILL NUMBER: S7892A
SPONSOR: GONZALEZ
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to directing the commis-
sioner of education to make recommendations to the board of regents
regarding the incorporation of instruction in artificial intelligence
system literacy into the school curriculum
PURPOSE:
Directs the commissioner of education to make recommendations to the
board of regents relating to AI literacy education.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 is the legislative intent.
Section 2 amends section 305 of the education law by adding a new subdi-
vision 33. Section 3 sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly influences many aspects of
daily life and the future workforce, yet there remains a significant gap
in structured educational guidance to equip students for responsible
engagement with AI systems. Recent studies underscore that 7 in 10 teens
already utilize generative AI tools for personal or educational
purposes, though 6 in 10 report that their schools either have no estab-
lished guidelines for such usage or students are unaware if guidelines
exist. (
HTTPS://WWW.COMMONSENSERNEDIA. ORG/RESEARCH/THE-DAWN-OF-THE-
AIERA-TEENS-PARENT S-AND-THE-ADOPTION-OF-GENERATIVE-AI-AT-
HOME-AND-SCHOOL). Additionally, parents frequently lack insight into
their children's AI interactions and rarely engage in discussions about
generative AI's benefits and challenges. AI literacy-encompassing foun-
dational understanding, critical evaluation skills, and ethical consid-
erations-is essential for informed civic participation and preparing
students for career paths increasingly reliant on AI technologies. The
"shall consider" framework outlined in this bill provides state educa-
tion authorities with a flexible yet clear mechanism for formally evalu-
ating and potentially integrating AI literacy into curriculum planning.
This balanced approach enables tailored adaptation to local educational
contexts, emphasizes practical skills and ethical awareness alongside
technical knowledge, and supports teachers through professional develop-
ment resources. Ultimately, this initiative ensures students across the
state gain age-appropriate understanding and practical capabilities to
navigate, interact with, and critically evaluate AI systems safely and
responsibly.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
Statutes affected: S7892: 305 education law
S7892A: 305 education law