Policymakers at every level are working to keep pace with artificial intelligence (AI) as it reshapes our schools, communities and workforce. This resource compiles recent state legislative and regulatory developments governing AI-powered tools in education settings across the United States.
Federal executive orders issued between 2025 and early 2026 have produced a national framework for AI in education, encouraged federal agencies to develop action plans and created a task force to support K–12 AI instruction. Against this backdrop, states have moved quickly to pass their own legislation, addressing everything from basic governance requirements to specific permitted and prohibited uses of AI in school settings.
This resource covers:
- Which states have required school districts and postsecondary institutions to adopt formal AI use policies.
- How states are drawing lines around what AI can and cannot do in education environments.
- How data security frameworks are evolving to address the particular risks AI introduces in K–12 and higher education settings.
- A growing body of state law targeting AI-generated deepfakes and their intersection with student safety and campus conduct policies.
Beyond regulation, the report documents how states and institutions are investing in readiness — through AI literacy standards embedded in curricula, professional development requirements for educators and grant programs aimed at implementing AI-integrated instruction. At the postsecondary level, it tracks the expansion of AI-focused degree programs and state workforce initiatives designed to prepare adults for an economy where AI competency is increasingly expected.
