A new bipartisan bill introduced by Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California would create federal funding for “AI literacy” initiatives in K–12 schools, according to a report cited by multiple outlets. The proposed legislation, described as the LIFT AI Act (Literacy in Future Technologies Artificial Intelligence), would direct the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make merit-reviewed, competitive grant awards to higher-education institutions and nonprofit organizations to develop and test AI literacy education materials.
The bill defines AI literacy as age-appropriate knowledge and the ability to use artificial intelligence effectively, critically interpret AI outputs, solve problems in an AI-enabled world, and mitigate potential risks. Planned grant activities include creating educational curricula and instructional resources, providing teacher professional development, and developing evaluation methods and tools to assess proficiency. The legislation also calls for hands-on learning tools and, where appropriate, changes to existing curriculum to incorporate responsible use of AI in learning.
The proposal is reported to be endorsed by major technology companies and education-related groups, including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, the American Federation of Teachers, and industry associations mentioned in the coverage.
