California Urges Schools to Adopt AI Responsibly

The state education department encouraged teachers and school leaders to incorporate artificial intelligence into classrooms with care.

Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Isometric editorial illustration of a wooden school desk with a brass compass, an open notebook, and a green potted plant, evoking careful classroom learning. — California's Department of Education urged teachers and school leaders to bring artificial intelligence into classrooms responsibly at a Monday summit, alongside new guidance on safe use. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The California Department of Education encouraged teachers and school leaders to responsibly incorporate AI into classrooms at a Monday summit hosted by the state education department. The department has also released guidance on the safe and effective use of AI in schools.

Why it matters

The push comes as districts weigh how to balance AI's learning benefits against concerns that students may use it to bypass thinking and research. Google's announcement that it would cut off its search feature to schools that opt out of AI has made the decision more pressing for districts.

The figures available are limited to Thurmond's two-term tenure, with no adoption rates or usage statistics reported. It remains unclear how many California districts will keep Google AI tools accessible to students.

The players

California Department of Education

The state agency responsible for public K-12 education policy and oversight in California, which issued the guidance on AI use in schools.

Tony Thurmond

California's State Superintendent of Public Instruction, who is leaving office at the end of the year after two terms.

Google

The technology company whose AI tools and search feature are at the center of districts' decisions about student access.

The details

At the summit, education technology leaders and school officials presented examples of AI supporting student learning, such as Fontana Unified School District students using AI tools to support peer education in math. Thurmond said the goal is to capture AI's benefits while ensuring students keep thinking, writing and researching, and he stated that AI will never replace a teacher.

Monday: State education department summit on AI in classrooms.
Last week: Google announced it would shut off its search feature to schools that opt out of AI.
End of the year: Thurmond leaves office after serving two terms.

Big Picture

California's guidance on classroom AI extends the state's earlier effort to set safe-use rules by now urging active adoption. The push arrives as Google ties access to its search feature to whether schools use AI, putting districts in the middle of a vendor-driven choice.

Parents and students in California districts may see different AI tool access depending on whether their school opts out of Google's AI features. Students could be asked to use AI for peer tutoring while being reminded to keep thinking, writing and researching independently.

The takeaway

AI in classrooms is being framed as a tool to support learning rather than replace teachers, so the practical question for families is how schools keep students doing the thinking themselves. Watching how districts handle Google's access decision will show which approach prevails.