ORLANDO, Fla. – Artificial intelligence is already making its way into Orange County classrooms, and school leaders say how it’s used matters just as much as keeping student data safe.
Orange County Public Schools held a board workshop Monday to discuss a proposed AI policy, ahead of a regular board meeting at 5 p.m. at OCPS headquarters in downtown Orlando.
Scott Howat, the district’s chief communications officer, said protecting students starts with keeping humans in charge.
“We want to make sure there’s always a human in the loop when you’re talking about artificial intelligence,” Howat said. “The computer is secondary. We want to make sure there’s a human there that’s checking the work.”
Howat said the district’s approved AI platforms use closed AI, meaning the code is kept private by the school to protect student data.
What the proposed policy would do
The proposed policy would require all AI tools to be vetted by the district before use. Key provisions include:
- Banning OpenAI programs for students and staff, so no district or student work can be used to train future AI models.
- Prohibiting student data from being entered into any AI program.
- Banning deepfakes and copyright infringement.
- Holding students and staff accountable for how AI is used
- Strengthening rules around cyberbullying and AI use in mental health
- Blocking students from using AI chatbots for emotional support.
Teachers would also be required to use AI detectors to check whether students are doing their own work.
Students and parents weigh in
Student town halls were held across each school board member’s district. The common thread: students felt it was unfair that teachers could use AI when they couldn’t. Many also said AI could help fill gaps in tutoring support and that for some students, AI feels like the only help available.
More than 5,800 parents responded to a district survey about AI in schools. Parents weighed in on their concerns, which grade levels should have access to AI, and how comfortable they felt with their children using it for schoolwork. Some said the technology has no place in the classroom. Others said it’s the next step forward. Some parents also worried the district might use AI to reduce human staff.
Mental health a top concern
School board members flagged mental health as a major concern, specifically making sure students don’t turn to AI as their only source of support.
“If there’s something that’s concerning involving a student, then we act on that, whether it’s through law enforcement or whether it’s through school psychologists or social worker or just school staff,” Howat said. “We make sure that we’re responding to that.”
Howat said AI should never replace real human connection.
“It should not replace learning. It shouldn’t replace human interaction. We need to make sure we are protecting that,” he said.
The district plans to vote on the AI policy in June.