The Florida Board of Education approved new rules Wednesday regulating artificial intelligence use across the state's public K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. The policy requires parental consent for student AI use, bans AI tools designed to simulate friendship, and sets limits on how teachers can deploy the technology for grading and evaluations.
School districts and charter school governing boards must adopt the guidelines by July 1, 2027. The rules do not apply to private schools.
Parental opt-in required for student AI use
Schools must allow parents to limit their child's access to AI tools. If a school plans to have students directly use an AI tool, parents who want their child to access it must actively opt in. Those who opt out must receive an "alternative, non-artificial intelligence instructional tool."
Florida Education Commissioner Henry Mack described the state's approach as a middle path. "We are exercising the virtue of prudence here. We are neither going to one extreme - i.e., banning AI - nor are we going to the other extreme, which is just unfettered access," Mack said.
For comparison, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration recently banned AI from educational uses for students up to 8th grade for one year. Florida's rules are less restrictive but go further than many other states' current policies.
Restrictions on social AI and autonomous tools
K-12 schools cannot deploy AI applications designed to meet students' social or emotional needs, including technology meant to simulate friendship. The board also added regulations around "agentic" AI, which uses autonomous digital agents. Students using such tools will need adult supervision, a log of activity, and the ability for instructors to disable the tool.
AI tools intended for preK-5 classrooms face additional review to ensure content is age and developmentally appropriate.
Limits on teacher use of AI
Teachers are prohibited from using AI as "a decision maker, absent human review" for grading, evaluations, referrals, and similar tasks. The rules aim to keep human judgment central in consequential decisions affecting students. For educators who want to build skills in this area, structured AI for Teachers training can help navigate what is permitted and what crosses the line into automated decision-making.
Carole Gauronskas, vice president of the Florida Education Association, supported the measure. "I love that this has come forward and the guidelines that have been set in place. AI will impact every one of our children, from pre-K through 12th grade through higher ed, and guardrails have to be put in place to make sure that it's done safely," Gauronskas said.
College regulations and assignment rules
The board also approved AI regulations for Florida's public colleges and universities. Officials said many institutions already had their own policies, but the new rule enforces consistency statewide. Students are banned from using AI on graded assignments unless the instructor explicitly permits it.
Parents of minors enrolled in public colleges or universities must be notified when their child directly uses an AI tool.
Why this matters for educators
For K-12 teachers and administrators, the July 2027 deadline means districts have a concrete timeline to build opt-in workflows, audit existing AI tools, and train staff on what the rules prohibit. The distinction between using AI as a teaching aid and using it as a decision-maker will require clear internal policies. The rules also create a new compliance layer for any school purchasing or building AI tools for younger students. For those looking to stay current as policies evolve, resources like AI for Education offer ongoing guidance on responsible classroom integration.
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