Readout of White House Event on Inclusive Approaches to Education in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science

On Tuesday, December 5, the Biden-Harris Administration hosted an event convening roughly 60 teachers, advocates, officials, and other education leaders to discuss inclusive approaches to artificial intelligence (AI) education in computer science. The event, held during Computer Science Education Week—an annual week of celebration organized by the Computer Science Teachers Association— acknowledged the work of educators teaching AI in computer science to students around the country, including from underserved communities. Participants also discussed these efforts’ importance for skills development, the need for inclusive teaching in this field, and ways to support educators.

The event was co-hosted by the National Economic Council and U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), and it was attended by officials from the Office of the Vice President, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Office of the National Cyber Director, the National Space Council, and the Department of Education. Officials emphasized the role of AI and computer science education in developing America’s future workforce and how Administration actions on AI, like the AI Executive Order, prioritize this work.

In panel discussions, teachers, educators, and researchers shared their experiences teaching AI and their efforts to make these opportunities inclusive. Some described their emphasis on teaching AI as part of a foundational computer science education, enabling students of all backgrounds to succeed in advanced AI topics. Others highlighted their efforts to connect AI lessons to broader conversations on AI’s implications for equity and other social issues. Participants also called for expanding these opportunities to more students and the need for more teachers with the knowledge and skills to teach computer science and AI.

Panel participants also discussed how leaders from government, labor, and private sector can partner with educators to advance inclusive AI education. They described union leaders’ work to engage with AI and computer science teachers, address their concerns, and encourage members to teach these subjects. Participants also highlighted collaboration between educators and researchers to develop K-12 AI curricula, as well as state policymakers working to prioritize AI educational offerings in schools.

In commemoration of Computer Science Education Week, several organizations also announced commitments to increase their support for AI education in America’s classrooms.

• NSF announced the EducateAI initiative, which will provide funding to efforts that support educators in creating high-quality and inclusive AI educational opportunities at the K-12, college, and postgraduate levels. NSF has published a Dear Colleague Letter seeking funding proposals for such projects.
• The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) will develop new K-12 computer science standards that incorporate AI into foundational computer science education.
• The National Science Foundation, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, committed to support the development of new standards incorporating AI into foundational computer science education.
• The Kapor Center will lead the Justice-Centered Computing Education Initiative to design learning resources and curricula, to interrogate issues of ethics, equity and racial justice, and other social impacts related to computing and AI.
• The College Board will develop materials that incorporate fundamentals of AI into AP computer science courses and pilot their inaugural Career Kickstart cybersecurity courses.
• Boise State University’s Institute of Pervasive Cybersecurity will expand its “Cyberdome” cyber education platform to 12 rural K-12 school districts across the State of Idaho and work with school districts to support critically needed pathways to cyber careers.

Participants from the Biden-Harris Administration

• Chirag Parikh, Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary, National Space Council
• Kei Koizumi, Principal Deputy Director for Policy, Office of Science and Technology Policy
• Seeyew Mo, Assistant National Cyber Director, Office of the National Cyber Director
• Benjamin Della Rocca, Senior Policy Advisor, National Economic Council
• Ami Fields-Meyer, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Vice President
• Karen Marrongelle, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. National Science Foundation
• Margaret Martonosi, Assistant Director, Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, U.S. National Science Foundation
• Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director, Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, U.S. National Science Foundation
• Michael Littman, Division Director, Information and Intelligence Systems, Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, U.S. National Science Foundation