LIFT AI Act

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) AI literacy education is crucial not only for developing a skilled workforce and positioning the Nation as a leader in this critical field, but also for mitigating the ethical challenges associated with AI;

(2) as strategic adversaries pursue AI technology for the purposes of surveillance, weaponization, and economic competition, maintaining United States leadership through an AI literate public is essential;

(3) AI literacy education at the K–12 level forms the foundation for success in this competitive environment, and proficiency with these technologies is becoming necessary to be an engaged and informed citizen;

(4) AI technology is rapidly evolving, and current best practices for learning and developing AI literacy today may not be applicable in the future;

(5) awards made under this section should recognize the rapidly evolving nature of AI technology, and identify and focus on those skills that will remain relevant to AI literacy considering likely changes in AI capabilities; and

(6) awards made under this section should recognize student progression to more advanced topics as they progress through K–12 education.

The Director may make awards on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium thereof) to support research activities to develop educational curricula and evaluation methods for AI literacy at the K–12 level.

Activities funded by awards made under this section may include the following:

(1) Formal and informal K–12 education curriculum development focused on the essential abilities and competencies necessary for AI literacy that is learner-centered, project-based, and can be personalized in the classroom.

(2) Engaging State and local educational agencies, principals, educators, or other school leaders of students in kindergarten through grade 12 in professional learning opportunities to—

(A) enhance AI literacy and proficiency; and

(B) develop best practices.

(3) Developing AI literacy evaluation tools for educators assessing proficiency in AI literacy.

(4) Designing and implementing professional development courses and experiences in AI literacy, including mentoring, for State and local educational agencies, principals, educators, or other school leaders that integrate in-person, virtual, and distance learning experiences.

(5) Development of hands-on learning tools to assist in developing and improving AI literacy.

(6) Augmenting the existing curriculum to incorporate AI literacy where appropriate, including responsible use of AI in learning.

(7) Additional activities determined appropriate by the Director.

The Director may carry out this section by making awards through new or existing programs.

In this section:

The term AI literacy means having the age-appropriate knowledge and ability to use artificial intelligence effectively, to critically interpret outputs, to solve problems in an AI-enabled world, and to safely and ethically use AI.

The terms artificial intelligence and AI have the meaning given the term artificial intelligence in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401; enacted as part of title LVI of division E of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283)).

The term Director means the Director of the National Science Foundation.

The term K–12 education means elementary schools and secondary schools, as such terms are defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).