Sen. Kim & Rep. Bonamici Highlight Need for Responsible AI in Higher Education at Student Defense Capitol Hill Event
Sen. Kim & Rep. Bonamici Highlight Need for Responsible AI in Higher Education at Student Defense Capitol Hill Event
Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) joined Student Defense on Sept. 17 to unveil a new report called “Students at Stake: Risks of AI Deployment in Higher Education.”
At an event at the Capitol, both members of Congress highlighted the ways AI is already reshaping higher education and the need for policymakers and institutions to address its implications for student privacy, learning, and opportunity.
Sen. Kim emphasized the importance of establishing safeguards as AI continues to evolve, saying, “technology and innovation must move forward, but moving forward recklessly without sensible controls is a recipe for chaos. It risks leaving students behind and losing the transparency, accountability, and privacy so valued within the higher education space.”
Rep. Bonamici said, “if we're going to support AI, it's going to have to be responsible. We have to prepare institutions of higher education to leverage AI to create opportunities, not widen gaps,” calling for a student-centered approach to AI policies in higher education.
Following the speeches, POLITICO Education Reporter Isa Domínguez moderated a panel featuring Dan Zibel, Co-Founder and Chief Counsel of Student Defense, Jon Fansmith, Senior Vice President for Government Relations and National Engagement at the American Council on Education, and Alison Thomas, Assistant Dean for Academic Integrity at American University. The panelists discussed the need for institutions, policymakers, and industry leaders to come together to support student-centered AI policies.
“Students at Stake” builds on the SHAPE AI Initiative’s other reports and guides, including the Student AI Bill of Rights, the Dos and Don’ts of College Application Evaluation, and the Dos and Don’ts of AI in College Recruitment & Enrollment.
