New Mexico Lawmakers Push for Statewide AI Oversight in Schools
State officials are calling for New Mexico to establish a formal governance plan for artificial intelligence use in schools, citing concerns about data privacy, cheating, and potential cognitive impacts on students.
Policy analyst Saraí Ortiz presented the recommendation Wednesday to the Legislative Education Study Committee in Raton. While the state Public Education Department issued voluntary AI guidance last year, schools and districts are not required to follow it.
Ortiz referenced two recent studies that raise questions about classroom AI deployment. A January 2026 Brookings Institution report found that risks of generative AI in classrooms outweigh benefits. An MIT study titled "Your Brain on Chat GPT" found that students who were heavy AI users showed less neurological activity.
The Amira Implementation Highlights Policy Gaps
New Mexico requires schools to use Amira, an AI-driven reading assessment tool, for kindergarten through second grade students. The state recommends 30 minutes of weekly tutoring for students needing reading intervention.
Teachers have reported discrepancies between Amira's scores and students' actual abilities, particularly for students with foreign accents or speech disorders. "PED's deployment of Amira highlights the state's current policy gaps," Ortiz said. "It's unclear what vetting process and stakeholder input PED used prior to implementation."
Lawmakers Split on Benefits and Risks
Rep. Debra Sariñana, an Albuquerque Democrat and retired teacher, said students need early AI literacy training to compete nationally. But she emphasized the risk of over-reliance: "They have to be able to think. I think that's where we're going to lose our kids and lose their learning, because everything can't be easy."
Rep. Tanya Mirabal Moya, a Los Lunas Republican and teacher, said she favors limits on classroom AI after witnessing students use it to cheat.
Sen. Ant Thornton, R-Sandia Park, argued that AI can create individualized education programs, allowing students to learn at their own pace. "AI is not going to go away, so we're going to have to figure out how to use it," he said.
Sen. Bill Soules, D-Las Cruces, said he uses generative AI as a "thought partner" for writing. "There's a whole lot of research and studies and sorting out that's going to come, and it's both exciting and a little frightening," he said.
National Trend Toward AI Regulation
New Mexico is one of three states that passed legislation to study AI in education. Since 2025, 35 states have introduced AI-related education bills, 24 have enacted AI laws or resolutions, and more than 35 have published AI guidance.
The state's next step is unclear. The Legislature has not yet adopted recommendations from the study, according to the report.
For educators navigating these decisions, resources like AI Learning Path for Teachers provide practical guidance on classroom implementation and student engagement strategies.
Your membership also unlocks:
