Artificial intelligence education NC guardrails get bipartisan support
Artificial intelligence education NC guardrails get bipartisan support
Publish Date: 2026-06-24 10:06:00
Source Domain: carolinapublicpress.org
by Frank Taylor and Kate Denning, Carolina Public Press
June 24, 2026
An artificial intelligence and social media safety bill more than a year in the making is progressing toward passage after receiving unanimous, bipartisan support in the latest vote on it by the North Carolina Senate. House Bill 301 would overhaul current standards of AI in schools, regulating and mandating AI education and customs for both students and educators, and give special attention to AI’s impact on the computer science discipline.
If the measure becomes law, the Department of Public Instruction would partner with NC State University’s Friday Institute for Educational Innovation to provide training to teachers and administrators.
“This legislation is really about protecting our children,” Sen. Dana Jones, R-Forsyth, said during the floor vote earlier this month.
“This bill provides common sense guardrails to help children, parents and educators navigate the digital world safely, creating a strong foundation for responsible AI use in the classroom and giving parents an additional tool to protect their children from addictive social media platforms.”
Revising standards
In an update to the state’s general statutes in 2023, the legislature mandated a passing grade in a computer science course — defined as the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles, hardware and software designs, implementation and impact on society — for public middle or high schoolers. The amendment required DPI to adopt and post a list of approved courses to fulfill the requirement.
Since then, computer science has been one of the fields most impacted by the artificial intelligence boom. In September, data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed computer science graduates having one of the highest rates of unemployment at 6.1%, Carolina Public Press previously reported. Updated data now puts that figure at 7% just months later, with computer engineering…
