Minnesota Department of Education: Artificial Intelligence in Education

This policy outlines guiding principles for the responsible use of AI in Minnesota schools, emphasizing human-centered decision-making, equity, and data safety. It encourages districts to develop clear local guidelines that balance the innovative benefits of AI with the need to protect academic integrity and student privacy.

Artificial Intelligence in Education I. Guiding Principles for AI Use in Education

“What is our collective vision of a desirable and achievable educational system that leverages automation to advance learning while protecting and centering human agency?” (United States Department of Education, 2023)

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly and powerfully transforming education, but that speed and power comes with great responsibility. As such, guidelines should distinguish between AI as a learning aid versus a replacement for thinking. The following list provides some guiding principles for responsible AI use in education to address this. These guiding principles are based on the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Educational Technology report, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations (2023), and the National Center on Education and the Economy’s Framework for AI-Powered Learning Environments (2024).

Vision and Values

Having an agreed upon vision and set of values for education helps an organization prepare for future technological innovations and disruptions. The use of AI should serve the vision and values of the organization.

Center People

People, not machines, should be at the center of decision-making, and educators, students and families should retain their agency as the primary decision-makers. Human interactions and expertise will always be an essential part of learning. New technological innovations and disruptions make the role of teachers even more important, especially in relation to guiding students’ development of critical thinking, collaboration, and application of knowledge.

Advance Equity

Technology innovations should advance equitable access and opportunity. This is exemplified in the concept of digital equity, defined by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance as “a condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy and economy.” Equity in AI involves ensuring fair access to technology and acknowledging the potential presence of biased data within AI systems.

Ensure Safety, Ethics, and Effectiveness

Data privacy, security and content appropriateness should be primary considerations when adopting new technology. Consider existing policies related to these issues and how the use of AI fits into existing frameworks.

Continuous Improvement

Decision-makers need to understand how AI models work so they can anticipate limitations, problems, and risks. Leaders should create a culture of continual evaluation and innovation to be ready to respond to future technological innovations and disruptions.

Updated: June 2026 | Minnesota Department of Education: Artificial Intelligence in Education

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II. Learning with AI AI provides significant opportunities and serious challenges for education. ED’s Office of Educational Technology report offers a guiding question: “What is our collective vision of a desirable and achievable educational system that leverages automation to advance learning while protecting and centering human agency?” (2023). It is important for teachers to consider this question, along with the questions listed below, when selecting an AI tool or website to use with students: • • • • •

Is the application age appropriate? What value does the tool bring to student learning? What are the unintended consequences and/or the impacts on the learning environment? How is data collected and used, and does it meet data practices standard? Before purchasing AI tools, have the specific needs and framework been identified to guide how technology will be used?

The table below highlights some ways AI can be used and some challenges to consider with implementation in learning environments. This is not an exhaustive list, and the specific opportunities and challenges will vary depending on the context and goals of each school and district. Please note that some of these opportunities and challenges may have more impact than others.

Opportunities

Challenges

Personalized Learning: AI can tailor learning experiences to individual student needs, pace, strengths, culture, and interests, promoting deeper understanding and engagement.

Bias and Discrimination: AI technologies, including those used in education, can perpetuate, and even amplify existing biases if not carefully designed and implemented. Thoughtfully crafting AI prompts can help improve results.

Improve Accessibility: AI can translate lessons and provide language supports for English Learners. It can also generate audio descriptions and offer other accessibility supports for students with disabilities.

Access and Equity: Access to AI tools may vary across families and schools, potentially widening the digital divide and creating new inequities.

Adaptive Instruction: AI-powered formative assessments can identify student learning gaps and adjust instruction in real-time, offering targeted support and enrichment. Human educators can enhance their impact on student learning by using valid AI tutoring tools to tailor instruction to individual student-needs.

Role of Teachers: Concerns exist about the evolving roles of teachers and the technology skills they’ll need to acquire, highlighting the need for upskilling and redefining the role of human interaction in AI-enhanced classrooms.

Automated Tasks: AI can support administrative tasks like grading, scheduling and data analysis, freeing up teacher time for more personalized interactions.

Teacher Training and Support: Educators need training and support to effectively integrate AI tools into their practices, maximize their benefits, and remove bias.

Updated: June 2026 | Minnesota Department of Education: Artificial Intelligence in Education

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Opportunities

Challenges

Immersive Learning: AI can create virtual reality experiences and simulations, bringing abstract concepts to life and enhancing engagement.

Overreliance on Technology: Excessive dependence on AI could reduce critical thinking, creativity and social interaction in the classroom.

Early Intervention: AI can analyze student data to identify learning difficulties early on, enabling swift intervention and support.

Data Privacy and Security: Ethical concerns surround student data collection, storage, and use, requiring robust privacy policies and safeguards. (See Minn. Stat.13.32 [2026] Educational Data)

Career Exploration: AI can help students learn about future careers, assess their skills and connect them with relevant opportunities.

Limited Transparency: Understanding how AI systems work and make decisions can be vague and not well understood, raising concerns about accountability and control.

Creative Innovation: AI can be used to create new applications, programs, creative works and other tools. Individuals can be equipped to design and innovate with AI.

Lack of Standardized Regulations: Clear guidelines and regulations are needed to ensure ethical and responsible development and use of AI in education.

III. Creating District-level Guidance Begin with What Already Exists As with any emerging technology, AI is changing rapidly, and the answers won’t be available right away. Begin with existing guidance, procedures, and policies to address immediate challenges. Consider the impact of the use of AI, particularly in: • • •

Data privacy Assessment Academic integrity

Work with all invested groups to develop further guidance for the use of AI anchored in the mission, vision, and values of the organization.

Prioritize Staff Learning Centering people is a guiding principle for AI in education. People should be at the center of decision-making in how and when AI is used. To do this, schools should provide differentiated professional learning opportunities for not only teachers, but all staff. School leaders should address risks and develop guidelines for the use of AI to support student learning. Without clear boundaries, students may rely on AI to complete tasks they should be practicing themselves, by passing on the Updated: June 2026 | Minnesota Department of Education: Artificial Intelligence in Education

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opportunities and repetition necessary to build foundational skills and cognitive capacity. Guidelines should distinguish between AI as a learning aid versus a replacement for thinking, ensuring students develop genuine understanding rather than simply producing AI-assisted work. Schools must address issues of equity, academic integrity, and assessing learning by having conversations with all members of the community before establishing clear expectations that prepare students to use AI ethically and effectively as adults.

Encourage Innovation and Knowledge Sharing To encourage thoughtful innovation and collaborative exploration of AI use in schools, consider the following ideas: • • • • •

Include student voice in the creation of the district/school AI g