U. Florida leads AI education task force

The University of Florida is leading a project to shape how artificial intelligence will be used in the state’s K-12 classrooms, the Florida Gator Magazine reported last week.

The state’s K-12 AI Education Task Force will be organized and chaired by the university. The task force, which also includes educators from around the state, is tasked with developing the state as a national leader for AI literacy, education and innovation.

The work was funded by a $5 million gift from the Griffin Catalyst, a civic engagement initiative of the philanthropist Kenneth C. Griffin.

The task force reportedly convenes 250 members across 39 school districts, five charter schools, eight private industry firms and 14 education associations. There are also four other higher education institutions in Florida involved in developing the project.

“AI integration is happening rapidly across school districts, and there is little guidance to support these efforts,” Maya Israel, director of the CS Everyone Center, told the Florida Gator. “Our approach of being community-driven for Florida by Florida, I believe, is unique.”