In brief
- Trump signed an executive order to expand AI education through a new national initiative and task force.
- The plan promotes AI training in schools, and supports teacher development.
- It remains unclear how the administration will implement the initiative, following cuts to education funding.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to boost artificial intelligence education across the U.S., launching a national initiative aimed at preparing American students for careers in one of the world’s fastest-growing technologies.
In January, shortly after beginning his second term, Trump signed an executive order to remove barriers to U.S. leadership in AI, reversing restrictions imposed under the Biden administration.
As part of the new initiative, Trump is creating the White House Task Force on AI Education to lead the administration’s efforts.
Chaired by the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the task force will include senior officials such as the Secretaries of Energy, Agriculture, Education, and Labor, as well as David Sacks, the White House Special Advisor for AI and Cryptocurrency.
“America’s youth need opportunities to cultivate the skills and understanding necessary to use and create the next generation of AI technology,” the White House said in a statement.
“Early training in AI will demystify this technology and prepare America’s students to be confident participants in the AI-assisted workforce, propelling our nation to new heights of scientific and economic achievement,” it added.
Despite those ambitions, it remains unclear how the administration will implement the initiative, especially following significant cuts to the U.S. Department of Education enacted by Trump in March.
According to the White House, the task force will lead a Presidential AI Challenge to showcase student and educator achievements, boost AI adoption, and promote collaboration across sectors to tackle national challenges.
“The Challenge shall encourage and highlight student and educator achievements in AI, promote wide geographic adoption of technological advancement, and foster collaboration between government, academia, philanthropy, and industry to address national challenges with AI solutions,” the White House wrote.
The order also directs the Secretary of Education to prioritize AI in discretionary teacher training grants and instructs the Director of the National Science Foundation to focus research on AI in education.
The success of the initiative may hinge on how effectively the White House can coordinate these AI education efforts, despite recent education budget cuts that Trump himself implemented.
“Preparing our students to be leaders in AI technology also requires investing in our educators, providing them with the tools and knowledge to both train students about AI and utilize the technology in the classroom,” the White House said.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair
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