Congressman Amo Hosts Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence at Smithfield High School

On first day of school, Amo convened state officials, local experts, and education leaders to discuss AI literacy in K-12 classrooms

Smithfield, R.I. – Today, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01), a member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, convened a roundtable conversation on the first day of school at Smithfield High School to discuss impact of artificial intelligence in the classroom. Specifically, he highlighted bipartisan legislation that he is co-leading, the Literacy in Future Technologies (LIFT) Artificial Intelligence Act, which would improve artificial intelligence literacy for K-12.

“If we’re to harness the power of artificial intelligence for good, then we have to teach students — even young students — how to effectively and responsibly use it,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “You shouldn’t have to wait until college or your first job to learn about artificial intelligence. In fact, delaying this digital education can prevent you from entering those spaces in the first place. That’s why I am working to ensure Americans of all ages and backgrounds can access computer science and artificial intelligence education in the classroom.”

ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS

Congressman Gabe Amo

Former Congressman Jim Langevin

Mike Hobin, Director of College and Career Readiness, Rhode Island Department of Education

Lisa Odom-Villella, Deputy Commissioner, Rhode Island Department of Education,

Brian Tardiff, Chief Digital Officer, State of Rhode Island

Shriram Krishnamurthi, Professor, Brown University

Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Professor, Brown University

Joe Mazzone, President, Rhode Island Computer Science Teachers Association

Vanessa Miller, Technology Integration Coach, Narragansett School District

Dawn Bartz, Superintendent, Smithfield Public Schools

Lora Calise, Teacher, Smithfield High School

Mike Delauriers, Teacher, Smithfield High School

Ava Brule, Student, Smithfield High School

BACKGROUND

Congressman Amo is proud to be co-leading the Literacy in Future Technologies Artificial Intelligence (LIFT AI) Act with Congressman Tom Kean of New Jersey. The LIFT AI Act would:

• Support a grant program within National Science Foundation for research and development of artificial intelligence literacy curriculum and evaluation methods for K-12, ensuring that educational materials are learner-centered, project based, and adaptable. 

• Support professional learning opportunities for educators, principals, and school leaders to enhance their artificial intelligence literacy and proficiency through courses, mentoring, and best practice development.

• Promote the creation of hands-on learning tools, the integration of artificial intelligence literacy into existing curriculums, and the development of evaluation tools to assess artificial intelligence literacy proficiency.  

Congressman Amo currently serves on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

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