Commission hears SchoolAI pilot update and flags library and student‑data privacy questions

Commission members received an update on a SchoolAI pilot that is integrated into a college Moodle LMS and currently involves roughly 20–25 participating faculty slated to begin summer courses. A staff representative said faculty are exploring clinical‑decision uses for the tool.

Data and privacy concerns came to the fore: Dr. Francis Alvarado told the commission that any vendor contract must clarify how data will be managed and guarantee privacy protections. "We just have to come into terms that it will be beneficial for them and for us and how they are gonna manage the data so everybody's privacy is taken care of," Dr. Alvarado said.

Commissioners also raised procurement and governance questions. Representative Williams said the commission cannot unilaterally forbid vendors from marketing to customers but emphasized the state should coordinate with the Department of Libraries and agencies to negotiate terms that protect users. One commissioner cautioned that an apparently 'free' vendor offering could mask later monetization or data use and urged that any distribution to libraries or agencies be negotiated at the agency level.

Next steps: staff were asked to seek clear documentation from SchoolAI on evidence of higher‑education outcomes, commitments to local hiring/training, deployment plans for medical/nursing programs where evidence of impact is sparse, and specific data‑management contract language to protect student and patron data.