North Carolina’s department of education has become the fourth top education agency in the nation to issue guidance to public schools on the integration of generative artificial intelligence in public schools.

The guidebook announced by the NC Department of Public Instruction on Jan. 16 contains an initial set of recommendations on integrating AI into all grade levels and curriculum areas.

“Generative artificial intelligence is playing a growing and significant role in our society. At NCDPI, we’re committed to preparing our students both to meet the challenges of this rapidly changing technology and become innovators in the field of computer science,” said State Superintendent Catherine Truitt in a statement. “We also believe that, when implemented thoughtfully and responsibly, generative AI has the power to revolutionize student learning and better prepare North Carolina’s students for the jobs of tomorrow.”

AI has been a hot topic in recent months, particularly since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. The DPI guidebook defines generative AI as “tools that generate text, images, audio, video, and code based on what it has learned in its training data set.” 

For example, teachers could use AI tools in NC classrooms to “automate administrative tasks” or “analyze student performance data and suggest teaching methods for varying learning styles,” resulting in teachers having more time to work directly with students, according to a DPI press release.

DPI also offered guideposts for concerns surrounding AI, such as cheating and the protection of student data. DPI worked with the organization AI for Education to create a plan for ethically implementing AI through the acronym EVERY:

  • EVALUATE the initial output to see if it meets the intended purpose and your needs.
  • VERIFY facts, figures, quotes, and data using reliable sources to ensure there are no hallucinations or bias.
  • EDIT your prompt and ask follow up questions to have the AI improve its output. 
  • REVISE the results to reflect your unique needs, style, and/or tone. AI output is a great starting point, but shouldn’t be a final product.
  • YOU are ultimately responsible for everything you create with AI. Always be transparent about if and how you used AI. 

“Empowering learners to understand these technologies is essential,” said NCDPI’s Chief Information Officer Dr. Vanessa Wrenn in a statement. “The power of AI tools for education, community engagement and deeper learning will continue to drive innovation and policy. North Carolina is proud to be among one of the first states in the nation to provide guidance to teachers and schools, as we know that AI can be used by educators to support their daily work while transforming students’ learning in the classroom.”