NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio — Ohio is the first state in the U.S. to require all K-12 public school districts to adopt policies for the use of artificial intelligence. The mandate is part of Ohio's most recent budget.
Good Morning Cleveland anchor Tiffany Tarpley spoke with State Senator Andrew Brenner, Chair of the Ohio Senate Education Committee, about the importance of implementing AI guidelines in the classroom.
"AI is everywhere now and students are very smart and they will be able to take advantage," said Brenner.
The law doesn't require schools to incorporate AI in lesson plans, but schools will need rules on how AI can be used responsibly.
"It is important that we have the policies in place to make sure that they're ethically used by students, as well as making sure the teachers have the tools that they need to be able to recognize AI," said Brenner.
Lake Ridge Academy in North Ridgeville, a private school, adopted an AI use policy two years ago.
Tarpley spoke with Donny Bittala, Director of the Academy's Upper School, who spearheaded the initiative.
"It's all about preparing students for the future," said Bittala.
Bittala said the policy addresses concerns like using AI to cheat.
"Students have to take ownership for their work," said Bittala. "AI is not a replacement for the expectations that we have put on to the students."
Another part of the school's AI use policy is training. Teachers are learning to spot AI-generated work by knowing their students' writing styles.
"We've got an English teacher who's showing them that AI doesn't necessarily create the paragraph that you want them to create. It doesn't have a human voice to it," said Bittala.
Nearly two-thirds of teachers in the U.S. utilized artificial intelligence this past school year, according to a recent Gallup survey. However, almost 30% of teachers oppose AI tools in the classroom.
Bittala told Tarpley that people shouldn't be afraid of AI, as it is improving education.
"AI has its place and there's a future for it," said Bittala. "I think it's pushing us to evolve and to do more and to be better."
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has until the end of 2025 to develop an AI use policy.
K-12 public schools will need to adopt that policy by July 2026 or create their own that aligns with the state's model.
