Department of Education to schools: prove AI works

What happened

The Department of Education issued guidance last week separating recreational from instructional technology and telling schools to judge AI products by demonstrated learning outcomes, not usage.

Why it matters

Until last week, policy lumped all screen time into one bucket; now vendors face demands for independent evaluations, and evidence must be built into renewals, not just purchases.

What to watch

The test is whether schools can fund implementation after pandemic money ran out — Alabama requires AI instruction for the class of 2032, and evaluation efforts hinge on trained adults.