This past Wednesday, the Florida Department of Education adopted updated internet safety guidelines regarding the integration of AI in public schools. These new rules reflect our organization’s priorities regarding child safety, parental rights, and student privacy.
To protect child safety, these rules require that AI tools be evaluated for age-appropriateness as well as preventing the use of simulated social and emotional features that may encourage the continued use of an AI tool.
These new rules also affirm parents as the primary directors of their children’s education by requiring districts to notify and inform parents of AI tool usage, providing parents with the option to opt-in to such tools, and providing comparable alternatives for those who opt out. The guidelines also require parental access to their child’s interaction history with an AI tool for a minimum of thirty days.
Finally, strong student data protections have been established by prohibiting vendors from commercially exploiting student data and requiring that student data is process and stored within the United States.
Thank you Commissioner Mack and the State Board of Education for protecting our Florida students.
FLCA has been advocating for thoughtful A.I. policies in schools, and we view this action as an important victory for Florida families. But there is still more work to be done outside of schools to protect children.
