Senators Adam Schiff and Mike Rounds have introduced a bipartisan bill that would provide grants to the National Science Foundation (NSF) to implement "AI literacy" programs in K-12 schools, according to a report from 404 Media.
The proposed legislation, known as the Literacy in Future Technologies Artificial Intelligence (LIFT AI) Act, has secured endorsements from major industry players including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, HP Inc., and the American Federation of Teachers.
The bill authorizes the director of the NSF to award competitive grants to higher education institutions and nonprofits. These funds would support research into developing educational curricula, instructional materials, and teacher professional development specifically for AI literacy.
Under the bill, AI literacy is defined as having the age-appropriate ability to use artificial intelligence effectively, critically interpret its outputs, solve problems, and mitigate potential risks.
Funding for curriculum changes
The legislation would specifically fund the modification of existing curricula to incorporate AI literacy and the responsible use of AI in learning. It also includes provisions for creating evaluation tools to assess student proficiency.
Senator Adam Schiff stated in a press release that equipping young people and the workforce is crucial as AI adoption grows across industries. Senator Mike Rounds added that the bill aligns with the Trump administration's National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence to support an AI-ready workforce.
However, 404 Media notes that the NSF has faced significant instability, remaining without a director for a year following the resignation of its previous leader. The report highlights that the Trump administration has also recently dismissed all 22 members of the National Science Board, which oversees the NSF.
The bill's push for classroom integration arrives as some students and teachers express resistance to AI in schools. 404 Media reports that some students have struggled with AI-enabled harassment and deepfakes, while others have used AI models to offload learning tasks, potentially undermining social and educational development.
Industry involvement in education is already increasing. Last year, the American Federation of Teachers announced a $23 million partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic to create an AI training hub for educators.
