In Case You Missed It: Sen. Rick Scott in Naples Daily News: “AI is Here. We Need to Protect and Prepare America’s Kids”

NAPLES, Fla. - Today, U.S. Senator Rick Scott published an op-ed in the Naples Daily News calling out the risks AI poses in schools and how his Safeguard Kids Act makes it easier for teachers and faculty to address them.

The Safeguard Kids Act will educate American K-12 students on risks posed by AI and make changes to the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) federal block grant program to allow funding for AI literacy and specialized counseling programs at local schools.

Senator Rick Scott wrote, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the world around us. From the corporate world to the average household, things are already very different than they were even a couple years ago. AI has the potential to be the greatest information innovation since the printing press. Still, technology is only as good as our ability to use it well and for the right reasons − especially when it comes to our kids and grandkids.

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Replacing human interaction with AI is a clear threat to every child's interpersonal development. AI is a tool. It's not supposed to be a catch-all, stand-in for therapists, doctors, lawyers, scientists, poets, or philosophers. It can never replace human connection. It does not possess the humanity we need to support one another or to override a parent's guidance."

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If we want America to lead the world in innovation for the next generation, our children need to learn how to use the tools of the future. It's up to us to make sure they can do it safely. The Safeguard Kids Act does just that; Congress should pass it without delay."

Read Senator Scott's full op-ed HERE.

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