Virginia Governor Issues New AI Guidelines for Education

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin recently approved Executive Order 30 (EO30) which introduces new guidelines for AI in education. The order focuses on two main aspects: implementing AI education guidelines in classrooms and establishing a comprehensive AI policy and information technology standards to protect data across state agencies.

The executive order, building on a previous one from September 2023, aligns with the goal of enhancing government service delivery efficiency through responsible AI use.

Youngkin emphasized that these standards aim to ensure the safe implementation of AI throughout the government. “These standards and guidelines will help provide the necessary guardrails to ensure that AI technology will be safely implemented across all state agencies and departments,” said Youngkin.

A total of US$600,000 has been allocated from the Unleashing Opportunity fund to support AI pilots to assess the effectiveness of the new standards. The education guidelines comprise guiding principles, success strategies, and defined roles and responsibilities, including specific tasks for agencies like the Virginia Department of Education.

Additionally, the executive order enforces AI policy and information standards to safeguard state databases and individual data, outlining technological requirements and approval processes for AI initiatives in government agencies. Lastly, EO30 mandates the development of AI usage standards for law enforcement personnel, as well.