98 Teens Draft Their Own AI Policy for Schools as Congress Stalls

Ninety-eight teenagers representing all 50 states gathered in Boston over a weekend in late July to draft their own set of guidelines for artificial intelligence use in schools, stepping into a policy vacuum left by Congress.

A student-led response

Organisers said most of the participants were high school juniors and seniors who volunteered to take part in the intensive drafting sessions, working in small groups to hash out recommendations.

The resulting framework addresses issues such as acceptable AI use for homework, teacher guidelines for detecting misuse, and data privacy protections for students, according to organisers.

• 98 students from all 50 states took part in the drafting weekend
• The framework covers homework use, misuse detection, and data privacy
• Organisers plan to share the document with lawmakers and school boards

Filling a legislative gap

Congress has yet to pass comprehensive federal legislation governing AI use in K-12 education, leaving individual school districts to craft their own, often inconsistent, policies.

Education policy observers said the student-drafted framework, while not legally binding, could serve as a model for districts and state legislatures looking for guidance.

Organisers said they plan to present the document to several state education boards in the coming months, hoping to influence future policymaking on the issue.