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Lexington senator proposes guardrails for AI use in schools

William Kelley attempts to "Find the Bot" in Donnie Piercey's class at Stonewall Elementary in Lexington, Ky., Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. Students in the class each summarized a text about boxing champion and Kentucky icon Muhammad Ali then tried to figure out which summaries were penned by classmates and which was written by the chatbot. The chatbot was the new artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, which can generate everything from essays and haikus to term papers in a matter of seconds. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Timothy D. Easley/AP
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FR43398 AP
William Kelley attempts to "Find the Bot" in Donnie Piercey's class at Stonewall Elementary in Lexington, Ky., Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. Students in the class each summarized a text about boxing champion and Kentucky icon Muhammad Ali then tried to figure out which summaries were penned by classmates and which was written by the chatbot. The chatbot was the new artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, which can generate everything from essays and haikus to term papers in a matter of seconds. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Lexington Democrat Reggie Thomas is hoping to get systems in place to monitor the use artificial intelligence in Kentucky schools. The senator wants to establish an initiative known as the Artificial Intelligence in Kentucky's Schools project.

Thomas made his interest in AI public during testimony in an interim committee this year that heard both from AI advocates and a vocal critic, who issued dire warnings about the speed of development and the inability to predict how the technology might spread.

Following one hearing, Thomas made his concerns about AI clear.

"I think this is the most important issue that lawmakers across the country must address and deal with in 2024," he said.

Under his proposed bill, the Kentucky Department of Education would establish guidelines for the use of AI in administration, classroom instruction, and the development of academic standards, as well as policies governing how school boards and teacher prep programs might include AI.

The guidelines would be updated every six months.

Thomas says his AI bill could be poised for a committee hearing, as it appears to be gathering some bipartisan backing.

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and program director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.