Pennsylvania Educators Ask for State Guidance on AI - govtech.com

Pennsylvania's educators have taken the bold step of asking their state government for guidance on AI in schools, which is a bit like asking a toddler for directions to the moon. At Tuesday's House Education Committee hearing, teachers and researchers testified about the need for 'proactive' state guidance to local districts, while legislators fretted that Pennsylvania might be 'falling behind' on AI education policy. The irony of asking the same institution that still hasn't figured out standardized testing to regulate the most disruptive technology since the printing press is truly something to behold.

What's particularly delicious is the timing. This hearing comes just weeks after Verizon CEO Dan Schulman warned AI could push unemployment to 30% within five years, and now educators are essentially asking the state to help prepare students for a job market that may not exist. The legislators' concern about 'falling behind' suggests they've finally noticed the train left the station about three years ago, but bless them for trying to catch up now. No specific curriculum proposals, funding commitments, or regulatory frameworks were mentioned — just the earnest recommendation that 'guidance' should be issued.

One can almost picture the scene: well-meaning educators explaining ChatGPT to lawmakers who still think AI is something from a Spielberg film, all while the actual technology continues evolving at a pace that makes state-level guidance about as useful as a paper umbrella in a hurricane. The hearing produced exactly what these things always produce — expressions of concern, calls for guidance, and precisely zero binding action. Pennsylvania may indeed be 'falling behind,' but at least they're asking for directions while the cliff approaches.