There’s a lot of noise, and my goal is to surface what’s most relevant, actionable, or thought-provoking. Sharing it out because it’s kind of silly to just have it sitting on my scratchpad.
Top of Mind this Week: AI Training Expands for Educators, Who’s Leading the Design?
There is more news this week about AI training being made available for teachers, educators, leaders, etc. While I am excited about the availability of these trainings, I think it is important that we think critically about how they are rolled out, how teachers are engaged, and how educators and leaders are involved in co-designing these trainings and opportunities. I heard more than once this week from teachers who are getting worried that big-tech will come in (and without a lot of expertise in education) start telling teachers what to do and how to do it. I am hopeful that alongside the continual release of new training opportunities we will see clear, evidence-based approaches to plan for and implement AI in education with a focus on student privacy, quality, and accuracy.
I appreciated this comment from Alice Keeler, “…Making a worksheet is not innovative. Creating things faster is not innovative. I’d like to see the education community hold companies accountable for actual innovation rather than simply low hanging fruit.”
Let’s be sure to keep our eyes on the ball here and not be distracted by the bright shiny object.
AI in Education updates from the United States: Virginia Launches AI-Powered Regulatory Review as Code for America Maps State AI Readiness
Governor Youngkin of Virginia issued Executive Order 51, launching Virginia’s first-in-the-nation state‑wide AI‑driven regulatory review pilot. According to the executive order the Commonwealth will leverage generative “agentic” AI tools to autonomously scan, analyze, and recommend streamlining of regulations and guidance. This, in theory, will help identify redundancies, statutory inconsistencies, and overly complex language. Virginia had already reduced 26.8% of regulatory requirements and nearly halved the word count in guidance documents; this AI initiative is intended to push lagging agencies to hit or exceed their targets and further enhance regulatory efficiency. With this move, Virginia has positioned itself to potentially influence federal and other state agencies to adopt similar technology-driven governance practices. There is a lot to think about with this in terms of accuracy and human oversight — we shall see what happens. Read more at https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2025/july/name-1053152-en.html
If you are interested in seeing state-by-state comparisons, you might want to check out the Government AI Landscape Assessment that was just released by Code for America. This appears to rank states into four maturity stages — Early, Developing, Established, and Advanced — based on their AI leadership, workforce preparation, and technical infrastructure. Read more at https://codeforamerica.org/explore/government-ai-landscape-assessment/
AI in Education updates from the Switzerland: Switzerland’s AI Owned by the Public Sector
In late summer 2025, ETH Zurich, EPFL, and CSCS will release a large language model (available under Apache 2.0 license) with source code, model weights, and training data “transparent” and reproducible. As reported, the LLM is trained on a dataset spanning over 1,500 languages (~40% non‑English) with the model reportedly “enabling” globally inclusive research, education, and public-sector applications. This is developed on Switzerland’s “Alps” supercomputer (powered by 100% carbon‑neutral energy and 10,000+ NVIDIA Grace Hopper chips), and reportedly has been trained using data that honors privacy opt-outs under robust Swiss/EU regulations. This is a shift to open‑source AI owned by the public sector. Read more at https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2025/07/a-language-model-built-for-the-public-good.html.
AI in Education updates from India: Students in India Get Free Access to Google Gemini AI for Learning Support
Eligible students in India can now get a complimentary 12‑month subscription to Google AI Pro which features the premium Gemini 2.5 Pro model and advanced tools like Deep Research, Veo 3, Gemini Live, enhanced NotebookLM, and direct AI integration across Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. The package supports a wide range of use cases — homework help, exam prep, writing assistance, video creation, audio overviews, personalized brainstorming, and organizational support — which can support student agency tolearn more effectively and creatively. Read more at https://blog.google/intl/en-in/company-news/technology/students-in-india-just-got-a-gemini-upgrade/
AI in Education updates from Africa: Experience AI in Nigeria
I recently completed the facilitators training for Experience AI so I was excited to hear about this largescale opportunity in Nigeria. NerdzFactory, in partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google DeepMind (funded by Google.org), will train 3,150 secondary school teachers across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, and Ekiti states. This positions NerdzFactory to deliver AI education to over 157,000 students by December 2026. The program integrates 70% online instruction (live sessions, digital modules) and 30% in-person workshops to accommodate connectivity gap. Experienece AI, specifically targets rural, low-income, and under-resourced schools and communities. This initiative represents a strategic shift from AI policy to practical education, empowering teachers as changemakers and ensuring that students across Nigeria — especially in underserved areas — gain foundational AI literacy. Read more at https://iafrica.com/experience-ai-program-launches-in-nigeria-to-equip-157000-students-with-ai-skills-by-2026/
AI in Education Updates from New Zealand: New Zealand’s National AI Strategy
New Zealand’s first comprehensive AI strategy hopes to boost GDP by an estimated NZD 76 billion by 2038 in part by promoting confident, widespread adoption of AI across sectors. Accompanying the strategy is a practical (and 100% voluntary) guide for businesses outlining ethical best practices (e.g., fairness, privacy, transparency), compliance with existing legislation, and governance frameworks. This guidance seems to be strategically laying the groundwork for safe and principled AI adoption. The strategy and guidance is consistent with OECD AI principles, and is staged to reassure domestic and international investors and partners that New Zealand is a favorable environment for both adopting and responsibly innovating with AI. Read more at https://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/news/artificial-intelligence-strategy-and-business-guidance-now-available
