South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Marshall University President Brad D. Smith will co-chair the new Southern Regional Education Board Commission on Artificial Intelligence and Education (SREB). The two-year commission convenes leaders in education and business to chart a course for how artificial intelligence, or AI, is used in classrooms and how to prepare a workforce that is being transformed by technology.
Henry McMaster
“Learning to lean into the discoveries AI technology will develop in the future excites me,” added Smith, who is also former Silicon Valley CEO. “We’re given the challenging, yet promising opportunity of preparing students for a digital world with evolving opportunities in life, employment and contribution.”
Members from each of SREB’s 16 states will include leadership from governors’ offices, state education and workforce agencies, K-12 educators and leaders, postsecondary faculty and leaders, and business executives, managers, and engineers. SREB plans to announce members of the commission in the coming weeks.
SREB’s Commission on AI and Education begins meeting in March to review research and industry data and hear from education experts. The commission will develop recommendations on 1.) using AI in teaching and learning and 2.) developing related policies in K-12 and postsecondary education as well as 3.) preparing students for careers in AI.
“We need to be proactive now, because AI is fundamentally shifting the classroom and the workplace,” said SREB President Dr. Stephen L. Pruitt. “The Commission will bring us together for a roadmap on preparing students for this world in which AI is a reality.”
