Maryland General Assembly passes bills to boost AI literacy in K-12 schools, higher education

The Maryland General Assembly passed two bills this past session that would increase artificial intelligence education and usage in K-12 and higher education institutions.

The bills, which Gov. Wes Moore must approve, focus on technological and professional development as AI continues to spread across numerous economic sectors. Broadening Maryland’s AI use is “essential” for the state’s economic competitiveness and development, according to the higher education bill.  

“Sometimes when we think about AI and jobs, people get worried,” Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D- Howard and Montgomery), who sponsors both bills, said in a March hearing for the higher education bill. “The real story is not that AI will replace workers — it’s that workers who know how to use AI will be the ones that thrive.” 

The higher education bill would create partnerships between the state and the University System of Maryland. The system will establish a new fellowship and lab alongside the partnership to allow students to assist in state AI projects and develop prototypes. 

This increased emphasis on AI literacy aligns with federal and state goals to enhance its use and research development, the bill reads.

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The bill would also require county education boards to create an AI policy aligned with the state-released guidance, according to the bill. Prince George’s County Public Schools’ education board typically does not support legislation that mandates policies at the local level and undermines its autonomy, board documents read.

PGCPS is in the second year of its three–year AI implementation plan, according to its website. The framework focuses on ethical AI use that builds necessary skills to prepare students for the workforce, and explores how AI can blend into classroom curricula. 

Jing Liu, an education policy associate professor at this university, said a rubric to evaluate these tools in schools is beneficial to ensure the selected AI platforms improve learning. This bill expands on the current education structure and allows Maryland to build on AI literacy momentum from an educational standpoint, he said. 

Liu, the director for this university’s educational data science and innovation center, also emphasized the need for professional training due to the lack of educators familiar with AI. Teachers can also benefit from using AI for lesson planning, providing feedback and evaluating students’ work, he added. 

As fears rise about the bridge between AI and the labor market, Liu said preparing students for an “AI–infused future” becomes more important.  

“AI is not just changing education,” he said. “It is changing everything, right, from the labor force, to higher education, to K-12 education, to our daily work.”