House committee hears witnesses on AI in classrooms and workplaces; lawmakers press for safeguards and training
Loading...
Summary
Witnesses from OpenAI, Magic School AI, the Center for Democracy & Technology and academia told the House Committee on Education and Workforce that AI can boost productivity and learning but said protections, transparency, and federal leadership are needed on student safety, privacy, bias, and labor impacts.
Lawmakers and expert witnesses at a House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing on artificial intelligence debated how to harness AI for education and workforce development while guarding against harms to students and workers.
Witnesses described concrete programs and concerns. Chaya Nayak of OpenAI said the company is building courses and credentials tied to its ChatGPT platform and “Our goal is to certify 10,000,000 Americans by 2030,” linking certifications to a planned OpenAI jobs platform intended to match certified individuals with employers. Adeel/Adil Khan, founder of Magic School AI, urged that classroom tools be purpose‑built for schools, keep teachers firmly “in the loop,” and give districts control over data and guardrails. Alexandra Reeve Givens of the Center for Democracy & Technology warned that without safeguards AI can deepen inequalities and cited wide K–12 and workplace adoption, arguing for testing, disclosure, and stronger agency guidance.
Members pressed witnesses on student safety and privacy after reports of AI‑generated sexualized imagery and deepfakes. Representative Joe Courtney highlighted a surge in tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; Givens said companies and Congress must improve detection, content removal, and enforcement mechanisms and pointed to recently enacted and pending measures described by witnesses as the “take it down” act and other legislative proposals.
Several members focused on workforce impacts. Witnesses described an accelerating shift toward varied, project‑based work that could leave workers exposed unless laws and data collection keep pace. Kevin Frazier, an academic fellow, urged better, more frequent labor market data to track AI adoption and its effects. Members raised proposals ranging from strengthened auditing and transparency of hiring tools to bills like the No Robot Bosses Act (HR6371) and the AI Civil Rights Act to protect workers from automated discrimination.
Committee leaders kept the hearing record open for 14 days to accept written statements and asked witnesses to provide technical details for follow‑up. Lawmakers on both sides signaled bipartisan interest in promoting AI literacy and workforce training while pressing executive agencies and private firms for clearer standards, more rigorous testing, and stronger enforcement to protect students, workers, and civil rights.
The committee adjourned with members planning additional oversight and potential legislative responses.
