In a surprise executive order, US President Donald Trump has made AI education a core national initiative—starting in kindergarten.
The order launches a sweeping federal strategy to promote AI literacy, empower educators, and prepare the American workforce for a future infused with artificial intelligence.
It calls for a White House task force, sweeping public-private partnerships, new federal guidance, and a national student competition, all starting within the next 90 to 120 days.
What impact, if any, will this have on AI literacy and education nationwide? On Episode 145 of The Artificial Intelligence Show, I spoke to Marketing AI Institute founder and CEO Paul Roetzer to find out.
What the Order Says (and Why It Matters)
The executive order mandates the creation of a White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education. Its charge? Coordinate AI-related programs across the federal government, expand K-12 and postsecondary education opportunities, and launch the “Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge” to showcase student innovation.
Key initiatives include:
- Federal agencies partnering with tech companies and universities.
- Grant funding prioritized for AI-related teacher training.
- Online AI learning resources built for students and lifelong learners.
- Nationwide AI apprenticeships and certifications for high school students.
“It’s the kind of initiative that we’ve been calling for on the show for a couple years that the government had to get involved in AI literacy,” says Roetzer.
A Critical First Step—But Just That
Roetzer is cautiously optimistic about the initiative.
“This is the first time I’ve heard this administration say anything on this topic, so it kind of came out of nowhere in my opinion,” he says. “I don’t know who’s actually the driver of this, though I think it’s a very smart initiative.”
He acknowledges the language of the order and accompanying fact sheet is promising—and surprisingly thoughtful.
He says whoever wrote this seems to understand the importance of the issue. (He even jokes it could have been written by o3, referencing OpenAI’s newest model.)
“This can’t be handled the way enterprise adoption has been, which is to say ‘Here are a thousand Copilot licenses, go figure it out.’ If we are going to give the technology starting in kindergarten all the way up, we actually have to teach the students and teachers how to use the technology,” he says.
While much of the action mandated by the order lies 90 to 120 days ahead, its mere existence is a major signal: AI education is no longer a fringe topic. It is now a White House-level priority.
If implemented seriously, this initiative could:
- Demystify AI from a young age.
- Build a workforce ready to thrive with AI, not compete against it.
- Prevent the AI literacy gap from growing into a permanent divide.
“Anything that involves more government interest, action, and funding around AI literacy, I am absolutely for,” says Roetzer.
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