Ohio Pushes AI into Schools

Ohio’s Lt. Governor Jon Husted announced the launch of an AI toolkit for schools across the state for grades K-12. While the Lt. Governor stressed schools do not have to use the toolkit, the Lt. Governor’s office is stressing the importance of the technology as a growing component of where he sees the state moving in the future.

“We want Ohio to be the dominant economic force in the Midwest,” Husted said. “And to do that, we need talent. AI technology is here to stay, and as a result, InnovateOhio took the lead on hosting forums over the summer to discuss the impacts. The predominant request was educators wanting help implementing the technology in the classroom. This toolkit is a resource for those who will prepare our students for success in an AI world. It continues our work to ensure Ohio is a leader in responding to the challenges and opportunities made possible by artificial intelligence.”

The toolkit includes introductory material to the concepts of AI, as well as examples of AI tools to explore and use in the classroom. One sample activity was displayed in a school demonstration illustrating how AI could approve or deny a loan in 10 seconds based on 20,000 data points about the applicant. It asks students what data they would or wouldn’t be comfortable sharing with the app, why each data point is valuable, and how mass data collection could both benefit and harm app users.

Opponents of the initiative to put AI in schools stress the risks of privacy violations in rolling out this technology in the school systems. As with any database management system, collected information from the tools run the risk of being distributed or sold to outside agencies. Additionally, opponents have also pointed out the initiative’s partners and their less than stellar connections.

In order to roll out this endeavor the Lt. Governor’s office is partnering with aiEDU, a nonprofit group which started in 2019 in California and has spread through other states since. The goal for each branch, including Akron, is to specifically push AI technology into Ohio school systems. While its partnerships include unsurprising collaborations with Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, It’s board members include Karen Silverman, founder of The Cantellus Group, a World Economic Forum partner with the specific goal of assisting governments and private organizations with advisory help in pushing AI technology. The World Economic Forum is an international organization which has most recently been popularized with their agenda to usher in the ‘internet of bodies’, a concept originally piloted by The Rand Corporation. The Internet of Bodies is a concept of linkages between AI interfaces and implantable technology which will communicate and alter biometric data and information within every person creating mass surveillance and control at an individual level.

“At aiEDU, we believe that everyone—especially those likely to be disproportionately impacted by AI systems—should have access to the knowledge and skills they need to thrive as workers, creators, consumers, and citizens,” said Alex Kotran, CEO of aiEDU. “We’re turning that belief into action by helping to make effective AI education accessible to more Ohio administrators, educators, parents and students.”

More information about the Lt. Governor’s AI toolkit can be found on his website here.