Understanding AI in the Classroom Act
Sponsored By: Representative Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]
Introduced
Summary
Study how AI affects K–12 students' learning and development. This bill would create a non-funding, evaluative mandate for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to identify gaps in evidence about how classroom AI may affect children's attention, development, and trust in AI.
Show full summary
- Families & children: Would focus on evidence gaps about attention span, learning independence, and cognitive, social, emotional, or behavioral development.
- Educators & schools: Would require the NSF Director to hold workshops within 18 months to gather input from teachers, school leaders, and parent groups about classroom AI effects.
- Researchers: Would prioritize gaps on over-reliance or trust miscalibration by children and on differential effects by age, vulnerabilities, or AI characteristics such as sycophancy.
- Policymakers: Would get a publicly published report to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation within 6 months after the workshops summarizing identified gaps.
The bill ties the definition of "AI" to the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act and the definition of "child" to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Key definitions for AI in schools
If enacted, the bill would set key meanings for this section. It would define "artificial intelligence" by referring to the National AI Initiative Act. It would define "child" by referring to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It would say "Director" means the Director of the National Science Foundation. These definitions would guide who the workshops and report cover.
Study of AI in K-12 classrooms
If enacted, the bill would require the National Science Foundation Director to hold workshops within 18 months to find gaps in data about how classroom AI affects children. The workshops would examine attention and learning independence; cognitive, social, emotional, or behavioral development; over-reliance or trust in AI; and different effects by age, vulnerability, or AI traits (including sycophancy). The Director could invite researchers, teachers, school leaders, and parent groups. The Director would publish and send a report to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation within 6 months after the workshops.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6]
MD • D
Sponsored 8/3/2026
Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
OR • D
Sponsored 8/3/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov