Trump Order Aims to Supercharge AI Learning in Schools

Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order designed to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) more deeply into K-12 education. The order aims to prepare American students for a future where AI skills are increasingly vital.

The directive pushes the Education and Labor Departments to create opportunities for high school students to engage with AI courses and certification programs. It also encourages collaboration with states to advance AI education initiatives.

Specifically, Trump instructed the Education Department to prioritize AI applications in discretionary grant programs for teacher training. The National Science Foundation is tasked with focusing research on AI’s role in education, while the Labor Department will work to expand AI-related apprenticeships.

“This is a big deal, because AI seems to be where it’s at,” Trump stated during the signing in the Oval Office.

The executive order highlights the bipartisan agreement on the need to integrate AI into education. Concerns have been raised by both Democrats and Republicans about American students potentially lagging behind other nations, particularly China, in AI proficiency.

“We have literally trillions of dollars being invested in AI,” Trump noted. “Somebody today, a very smart person, said that AI is the way to the future. I don’t know if that’s right or not, but certainly very smart people are investing in it.”

Furthermore, the order establishes a White House Task Force on AI Education, including key figures like the Education Secretary and Labor Secretary. Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will chair the task force.

The task force will create a “Presidential AI Challenge” to promote AI usage in classrooms and facilitate public-private partnerships. These partnerships aim to provide resources for AI education in K-12 schools.

This initiative builds upon a bipartisan congressional report from December 2024 that emphasized the need for AI literacy resources for K-12 educators. However, the report also stressed the importance of deploying AI within the framework of labor and antidiscrimination laws.

While there’s broad agreement on embracing AI in schools, disagreements persist regarding the extent of federal regulation in this process.

Trump’s executive order also directs the Labor Secretary to incentivize AI-related apprenticeships, which have gained bipartisan support as valuable alternatives to traditional college education.

Shortly after assuming office in January, Trump reversed AI expansion regulations previously enacted by President Joe Biden. He also touted a $500 billion private investment from tech companies for new AI data centers.

In March, President Trump signed an order seeking to dismantle the Education Department. The agency still exists, however (though with just half the workforce it once had). Only Congress can entirely abolish federal agencies.

A coalition of states sued the Trump administration more than a month ago, alleging the mass layoffs at the Education Department were illegal. A court hearing to consider a preliminary injunction on the firings is set for April 25.