A Better Education for All with AI

President Trump's executive order on AI education signals a pragmatic recognition that technological change is already here — and our focus must shift from debating its merits to preparing Americans to thrive with it.

The order spends some time talking about literacy and training with AI tools, which does have a touch of “learn to code” vibes. But AI’s opportunity to enhance how students learn in and out of the classroom is the real potential here.

Integrating AI into our learning models gives all students the chance to receive the type of one-on-one instruction that is increasingly sought after. A 2024 study showed that “from 1997 to 2022, the number of private tutoring centers more than tripled.” Yet, much of that growth was “heavily concentrated in geographic areas with high income and parental education”.

AI democratizes this valuable learning model.

A school in Texas implementing AI tutors saw their test scores shoot to the top two percent in the country. But while homeschooling, learning cohorts, and new specialized schools are experiencing a renaissance, the truth is most parents rely on their local school system.

The administration is taking initial steps toward demystifying and incorporating technology in domains that might otherwise be slow to adopt — such as schools. Adoption speed is critical, especially when the upside is tremendous.

“Preparing our students to be leaders in AI technology also requires investing in our educators, providing them with the tools and knowledge to both train students about AI and utilize the technology in the classroom.

“The task force will also establish public-private partnerships to provide resources for K-12 AI education, both to enhance AI-related education but also to better utilize AI tools in education generally.”

-White House

Finally, the Presidential AI Challenge is an opportunity to showcase practical applications, helping translate abstract concepts into tangible skills. Moreover, the order's emphasis on teacher training reflects an often-overlooked reality: educators themselves need support in understanding technologies like Magic School and School AI to effectively guide students. By prioritizing AI in discretionary grant programs for teacher development, the administration acknowledges that tech adoption begins with those who shape young minds.

And those young minds will soon shape the direction of our country. What better investment to make?

Energy Emergency Powers: Days not Years

The Interior Department announced this week it will slash environmental reviews for critical energy projects from years to just 28 days.

The shift is stark: projects that typically languish for 1-2 years in regulatory purgatory will now be reviewed and decided upon in just 2-4 weeks.

While critics cry foul, environmentalist Randi Spivak inadvertently revealed the true agenda behind the current system when she told reporters: "There is no energy emergency where more fossil fuels are the solution." In other words, the endless reviews aren't about improving projects – they're designed to prevent them entirely.

And Jared Huffman's prediction of "waves of litigation" is less a warning than a promise. But the administration is standing on firm legal ground with its emergency authorities, and more importantly, it's standing on the right side of America's technological and strategic interests.

AI Action Plan Comments: By the Numbers

10,068 public comments were submitted in response to the White House’s “Request for Information on the Development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan”.

Upon the release OSTP Director Michael Kratsios said: “America is, and must remain, the global leader in AI technology. The huge volume of public comments we received reflects the deep interest Americans have in the future of AI and highlights the critical importance of the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan for advancing this generation’s defining emerging technology.”

You’ll notice that 92 percent of the comments came from “individuals”. And a ton of those were quite negative on the prospect of AI. This could reflect two truths:

One, that some people are deeply anxious about this new technology and a better job needs to be done by all to articulate its potential. We take this mission seriously at ALFA every day.

Or it could reflect an astroturf spam campaign driven by interest groups attempting to sabotage the effort from the jump.

From our experience, it’s probably a little of both.

Here’s the total breakdown of comments by sector:

10 were from local governments

82 were from Academia

178 were from “industry/professional/scientific associations”

193 were from non-profits

292 were from the private sector

9,313 were from individuals

While it is impossible for us to have manually sifted through all of the comments since they’ve been released, there are folks compiling and reducing them down to common themes and proposals. And when we see them, we will be sure to share with you.