New Regulations on Artificial Intelligence Use Approved in Florida Schools
The Florida Board of Education has established comprehensive rules regulating the use of artificial intelligence in K-12 schools and state colleges.
The Florida Board of Education approved new rules regulating the use of artificial intelligence in public K-12 schools, charter schools, and state colleges across the state on Wednesday during a meeting held at Polk State College in Winter Haven.
Meeting and Core Approach
The Florida Board of Education adopted comprehensive new rules governing the use of artificial intelligence in educational institutions across the state during a meeting held on Wednesday at Polk State College.
Education Commissioner Henry Mack stated that the approach adopted by the board aims to avoid extremes such as completely banning artificial intelligence or granting unrestricted access.
Deadline for School Districts
School districts are required to amend their internet safety regulations to include artificial intelligence.
Local policies must be finalized by July 1, 2027, for the 2027-2028 academic year.
Parental Rights and Alternative Solutions
Schools are required to notify parents and obtain consent if students use artificial intelligence products directly.
If parents limit or deny their children's access to artificial intelligence, schools must provide a similar non-AI alternative instructional tool.
Prohibitions at the K-12 Level
In K-12 schools, the deployment of artificial intelligence tools to meet students' social or emotional needs, simulate emotional relationships, or feature anthropomorphic design characteristics is explicitly prohibited.
PreK-5 grade-level artificial intelligence tools are subject to age-appropriateness reviews and cannot subject students to covert behavioral tracking, social scoring, or psychological profiling.
Staff Training and Supervision
Additional regulations mandate training for teachers and administrators on artificial intelligence risks, limitations, security, and compliance.
While adult supervision is required for student artificial intelligence use, school personnel are ensured the ability to instantly disable tools without any vendor support.
Data Privacy and Vendor Policies
Districts are required to prioritize vendors that keep student data within the United States.
Vendors are strictly prohibited from commercializing data, profiling it, or exploiting it for the training of commercial models.
Grading and Assessment Restrictions
Teachers are restricted from using artificial intelligence as the sole decision-making authority for grading, assessments, and referrals without human review.
Educators are prevented from treating artificial intelligence outputs as the sole evaluation tool.
Rules in the College System
The 28 institutions within the Florida College System must adopt policies that guarantee educational quality and safe learning environments.
In colleges, students may not use artificial intelligence in graded assignments or assessments unless explicitly permitted by the instructor; furthermore, parents must be notified if minor students use an artificial intelligence tool.