My friend Pete always has something to say, and he did not hesitate to jump in about Jack #635, Education and A.I. Pete is much more enthusiastic and less cautious about A.I. than I am. But he had some solid thoughts, and I expanded on them a bit.
Pete used his personal experience of introducing a new technology, cell phones, to his kids back in the day. He reports that that process was not completely thought through and that there were some growing pains that followed. I replied to Pete with this:
I’d like to use YOUR cell-phone experience as a guideline. Before introducing A.I. to schools and students, RULES and ETHICS should be taught first. Establish the rules of WHEN and WHERE A.I. can be used in schoolwork. Also, some type of tracker or identifier should be installed in A.I. so anyone can tell WHAT actually IS A.I and what isn’t. Work, reports and the like, was always loaded with footnotes and proper source credit. There is no reason why A.I. should be exempt from this practice. There should also be clear consequences for misusing A.I.
Before any A.I. technology can be introduced to and used by students, a required course, A.I Ethics 101 would need to be both required and passed by every student in order to continue. A.I Ethics 201, a more detailed version of 101, should be required the second year. After that, a more advanced A.I. Ethics class should be offered for those who want to specialize in A.I. applications. These classes should also be taught at the University level including an offering of a B.S. or more advanced degree in A.I. Ethics.
My comments above raise some interesting questions. Have any of you ever heard or discussed A.I. Ethics? Up until today I haven’t. So, I’m guessing that no primary, secondary or even university has any courses on A.I. Ethics and the how’s, why’s and where’s of using A.I. Does anyone out there know anything to the contrary?
Pete has convinced me that A.I. is inevitable. But it needs to be controlled by people, ethical people. In order for that to happen, the ETHICS portion needs to be both developed and taught. Will there be a race within school boards to have the best A.I. education which would be based on ethics? Will universities rush to be the first to teach and offer degrees in A.I. Ethics? I certainly plan to send this “Jack” to my alma mater.
And then there’s the educational bureaucracy. In Wisconsin we are the Department of Public Instruction. Their priority is Teacher Union preservation and expansion and is not focused on the education of kids. When I think of them pushing ANYTHING containing the word “ethics,” I cringe. Perhaps a real champion of education like Brittany Kinser or a real education governor like Tom Tiffany will pick up and champion the A.I. Ethics issue and push it forward.
Isn’t it sad that when it comes to 80-20 issues like education (and ethics) government has to be worked around? Sigh.
Jack
Written June 12, 2026
H.O.T. Jack’s observations and opinions are shared with you by, but not edited by, H.O.T. Government and so do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of H.O.T. Government.
Don’t forget: You can get all “HOT Jacks” by subscribing to the HOT Government website at www.hotgovernment.com.
