Earlier this year, I predicted that in this new political era, Congress would finally pass a bill to promote AI literacy for students and educators. It turns out that the Trump administration got there first.
On April 23, President Trump signed a new executive order: Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education For American Youth. It acknowledges that students in the U.S. must be equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in an AI-powered era. The executive order establishes an AI Education Task Force and directs it to leverage public-private partnerships, grant priorities, and federal investments in research to promote AI literacy for students and teachers. One intriguing element of the executive order is its creation of a Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge to spotlight student and educator achievements in AI and foster collaborations that harness AI to tackle national challenges.
After several months of difficult news for the education R&D community, this executive order offers a glimmer of hope. Only a month ago, the Trump administration fired nearly half of the staff at the Education Department, including all but 10 percent of those at the Institute of Education Sciences. Then the administration cancelled over 400 National Science Foundation (NSF) grants, with over 100 coming from the agency’s STEM Education Directorate.
So, an executive order that makes AI literacy for students and teachers, backed by federally supported research infrastructure, struck a different chord. (Set aside any confusion over the fact that it directs the Secretary of Education to be heavily involved, despite an earlier executive order calling for the Education Department to be shuttered.)
What Would Trump's Order On AI in Schools do?
Let’s get into what this executive order actually does, particularly as it relates to education R&D. First, it creates the AI Education Task Force to “promote the appropriate integration of AI into education.” It will be led by Michael Kratsios, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Serving on this task force will be the Secretaries of Education, Agriculture, Labor, and Energy; the NSF Director; and the Special Advisor for AI & Crypto, among others.
The executive order directs the task force to establish public-private partnerships with “leading AI industry organizations, academic institutions, nonprofit entities, and other organizations with expertise in AI and computer science education” to develop AI literacy resources for K-12 students. Additionally, it asks the task force to issue guidance on the use of formula and discretionary grant funds to improve education outcomes using AI, as well as leverage existing research programs to support state and local work at the intersection of AI and education.
The order also guides NSF priorities. It calls on the agency’s director to prioritize research on the use of AI in education, as well as “utilize existing programs to create teacher training opportunities that help educators effectively integrate AI-based tools and modalities in classrooms.”
What is the Presidential AI Challenge?
The Presidential AI Challenge is an especially interesting feature of the executive order. It’s intended to serve several purposes: to shine a light on student and teacher successes in AI, promote AI adoption across the country, and “foster collaboration between government, academia, philanthropy, and industry to address national challenges with AI solutions.” These broadly worded goals leave ample space for interpretation, but they offer exciting possibilities for energizing communities to build the future of AI in education together.
While many are applauding the goals of this executive order, it’s fair to wonder if the federal government will have the capacity to carry it out. Will the administration back up the order’s stated intentions with sufficient funding in the 2026 President’s Budget? Will Congress adequately fund the agencies charged with promoting AI literacy and supporting AI research? Will there be enough staff with AI expertise at the Education Department (which let go of its entire Office of Educational Technology in March), NSF, and other agencies to make good on the promise of this order?
For now, many who see the promise of AI in education, if deployed responsibly, will celebrate this executive order. But for it to be more than just words on paper, the Trump administration and Congress will have to give it the resources and attention it requires to ensure those words turn into meaningful action for students and educators.
Tasha Hensley
Policy Director