Biden prioritizes equity in new AI efforts.

The federal Department of Education recently released an “Insights and Recommendations” report on artificial intelligence in education, emphasizing the need for “equity” in AI. The report stresses that biases in AI algorithms must be addressed when they introduce or sustain unjust discriminatory practices in education.

The report’s authors highlight some positive opportunities opened up by AI, including strategies to make up for pandemic learning loss and greater adaptivity and personalization in digital tools for learning for students with disabilities, multilingual students, and others.

However, the report also highlights concerns about algorithmic discrimination and disparate outcomes between groups. The authors state that their analysis grew in part out of four 2022 listening sessions involving more than 700 attendees, where issues related to racial equity and unfair bias were at the heart of every listening session held.

AI and Educational Systems

The authors describe the potential for bias as a motivator for another imperative: “Educational systems must govern their use of AI systems.”

In an early Disclaimer, they note that the contents “do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public.”

The Department of Education report comes weeks after another slate of AI announcements from the Biden administration that also emphasized “racial equity.”

On May 23, Microsoft announced a new AI content moderating service, “Azure Content Safety.”

Other Biden administration AI announcements on May 23 include changes to the National AI R&D Strategic Plan, first developed under the Obama administration in 2016 and modified under President Donald Trump in 2019.

Conclusion

The report concludes that “AI systems and tools must align to our collective vision for high-quality learning, including equity.” The authors firmly reject the idea that AI could replace teachers, but also characterize algorithmic discrimination as an AI risk “of the highest importance.”

• Equity and related fears about disparate outcomes between groups aren’t the only concerns mentioned in the report, which covers student surveillance and worries over teacher job security, among other areas.
• Vice President Kamala Harris went on to meet with leaders at Microsoft, OpenAI, Alphabet, and Anthropic on responsible AI use in their products.

The report is a step towards ensuring that AI is used in a responsible and equitable manner in education.