EASTON — The Talbot County Board of Education on Wednesday reviewed the district’s plans to regulate student artificial intelligence usage.
Assistant Superintendent Helga Einhorn presented what she called a “guidance document,” which was assembled based on input from district personnel.
In May, the General Assembly passed Maryland’s Artificial Intelligence Ready Schools Act, which requires districts across the state to adopt official AI policies by Oct. 22 and appoint an AI coordinator to work in the district’s central office. Einhorn said the district intentionally waited to move forward with its own policy to ensure it complied with state regulations.
“Artificial intelligence shall be used to support, but not replace: professional judgement; meaningful relationships between educators, students, and families; authentic student learning; critical thinking, creativity, and independent decision making; or human responsibility for decisions affecting students or employees,” the new policy reads.
It goes on to specify that AI-assisted decisions will “remain subject to appropriate human review and oversight.”
“We know artificial intelligence instructional technology is all changing very quickly, so I just want to acknowledge that it is likely that this policy and AR will come back to you again in the near future as that continues to change, and we in education try to keep up with all of the changes that are happening,” Einhorn said.
The policy was well-received by the board, with Board President Emily Jackson calling it “fresh and forward-thinking.”
“While it may not solve all of the world’s problems today, it is a really good start with really relevant information,” Jackson said.
The policy went through first reader Wednesday and will come back to the board for a second reading at a future meeting.
A copy of the drafted policy and district guidelines are available online at tcpsk12.community.diligentoneplatform.com under the board’s Aug. 12 meeting agenda.