Among at least 17 artificial intelligence-related bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom recently is a bill that will integrate AI literacy into K-12 curriculum throughout the state.
“AB 2876 responds to the rapid proliferation of AI in nearly every aspect of young people’s lives, as well as the impact AI will have on their futures,” according to a statement from the bill’s author, state Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Democrat who represents parts of the Peninsula and South Bay.
The state’s Instructional Quality Commission will update math, science and history-social science curricula to incorporate AI literacy. The bill also mandates that AI literacy be a factor in reviewing textbooks and teaching materials, covering how AI works, its core concepts, applications, limitations, ethical issues and real-world impacts.
California has been at the forefront of discussions on how to manage the rapidly developing technology. The state is home to more than half of the world’s 50 leading AI developers, according to Newsom’s office, with many based in Silicon Valley.
Berman said he believes this new law, which takes effect next year, “will equip all California students with the skills and training they need to be safe, ethical and successful users of AI as it becomes more mainstream.”
The bill passed the state Assembly and Senate unanimously earlier this year.
“AI has the potential to positively impact the way we live, but only if we know how to use it and use it responsibly,” Berman said. “Children and young people today must navigate a world—and job market—transformed by fast-moving AI technology.”
The California Chamber of Commerce, a co-sponsor of the bill, said it worked with Berman to “make sure our children are equipped with the basic skills and foundational knowledge to succeed as consumers, voters and workers in a modern world.”
While the proliferation of generative AI tools is a relatively new phenomenon, CalChamber believes the state should acknowledge the growing presence of generative AI in daily life by teaching students to harness these tools for their benefit.
“What we mean by AI literacy is simply the knowledge, skills and attitudes associated with how artificial intelligence works, including its principles, concepts and applications, as well as how to use artificial intelligence, including its limitations, implications and ethical considerations,” said Ronak Daylami, a policy advocate with CalChamber.
Last year, Newsom signed AB 876, another bill sponsored by Berman, into law, requiring schools to teach media literacy in the classroom.
Daylami said she believes the AI literacy law will complement existing media literacy requirements without overburdening students.
“The bill is intended to relieve burdens for students so that they don’t struggle the way some people have struggled with technologies in their lives or workplaces as adults,” she said.
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Aside from the AI literacy law, other AI-related bills recently signed by Newsom include expanding child pornography laws to cover AI-generated content, requiring AI developers to share what data they use to train their systems, and making it mandatory to label political ads or election content that has been altered by AI.
Other new laws signed focus on protecting people’s likeness from being used without permission and ensuring that AI is used transparently in health care decisions.
Newsom, meanwhile, vetoed the most ambitious of the proposed laws, SB 1047, which would have required large AI developers to conduct safety testing and include a “kill switch” on products to prevent AI-generated catastrophes or terrorist attacks.
