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We are coming here today as senators and superintendents because we acknowledge that artificial intelligence ethics in schools is a topic we cannot avoid anymore. This bill has inconsistencies, yes, but ultimately it is difficult to be the first students making changes that impact the entire nation. Ideas never come out as clean in the moment, especially with the limited time given. But this is the start, not the end. Change is difficult to adapt to, but stepping out of what we have been comfortable with will give us the opportunity we have never known before. I urge my senators to approve this bill because, like my mother says, the only way to learn how to swim is ultimately to dive into those waters head first.

Sarah Zahka

Student Senator (Fla.)

Our bill allows for districts to make moves within restrictions, but it also allows for districts to work with the funding and resources that they have. We're not all alike. Many of us come from schools with thousands of kids, and some of us come from schools with a few hundred. But the way our bill was written, it was all of us working together – all of us combining our ideas to get this bill and the amendments passed.

Elijah Malaquias Martinez

Student Senator (N.M.)

I am in support of this bill because right now students have a voice and a chance at representation on a larger scale. This bill will guide states that currently have little to no regulations and serves as a starting point for states to be able to implement some of the decisions that we make today into their school systems. AI is the future, and we need to find ways that adapt and grow along with it.

Shamitha Doki

Student Senator (Ariz.)

This policy can be the foundation that allows our entire nation to be AI literate and understand the consequences of AI, both positive and negative. The policy will not only benefit our own school, district, and state but also our nation as a whole coming together.

Samantha Roberts Dildine

Student Senator (Kan.)

When I think about AI in education, the conversation shouldn’t be about whether students are using AI, it should be about ensuring that they know how to use it properly and responsibly and with integrity. I strongly support the amendments that preserve local decision-making. Hawaii schools are incredibly diverse. Giving districts the flexibility to develop policies that reflect their students, cultures, and educational visions will lead to more thoughtful and effective implementation.

Wehiwaalani Gapero

Student Senator (Hawaii)

This bill reflects the need for an important voice that isn’t often heard in educational policy – that of the students that it aims to serve. While this bill does contain repetitive provisions, prescriptive language, and at times, contradictions, it also demonstrates our innovation, our creativity, and our drive, even as adolescents, to step into important conversations in an ever-adapting world. I urge the senators gathered here today, as well as the listening educators, administration, legislators, and public, to remember this bill and the suggestions in it are a representation of collaboration and how we can bridge our differences and provide a foundation for progress.

Zora Nobel

Student Senator (Maine)