Across Northwest Florida, schools and universities currently use AI to varying degrees.(Photo by Leon Neal/, file)
PENSACOLA, Fla. — This week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the city is banning artificial intelligence in schools up to the eighth grade.
Across Northwest Florida, schools and universities currently use AI to varying degrees. Officials say there are guardrails in place for the responsible use of AI.
“I have yet to see a study, showing that AI is beneficial for students for elementary and middle school, with the exception of course, of research sponsored by the very corporation that stands to profit,” Mayor Mamdani said.
Mamdani’s policy also creates an AI literacy lesson for high schoolers. This decision is gaining national attention.
WEAR News wanted to see how AI is being used in our classrooms today, and how emerging tech will likely be used in the future.
At the University of West Florida, they set clear expectations for students on how to safely use AI. In fact, the school offers an AI intelligence in education graduate certificate.
“The human should always stay in the lead of the process so AI can help support your thinking,” said Dr. Lauren Adlof, assistant professor in the Department of Instructional Design and Technology at UWF. “It can help you brainstorm, it can support your process, but the learner or even the professional, once they get out into the workforce, they still need to be the one in the lead who is setting the direction. They’re evaluating the output, and they’re taking the responsibility for that result.”
Professor Adloff teaches instructional design and technology at UWF. She says they have a thoughtful approach, getting input from both students and staff to form an AI management plan around appropriate and responsible use.
“So we have academic integrity guidance that addresses that unauthorized use of AI for students, but then it also comes down to the individual course level,” Adlof said.
Each of our local school districts have policies in place for how and when to use AI. As schools continue to navigate the growing use of AI, experts say the conversation shouldn’t simply be about whether students should be allowed to use it, but how they use it to learn.
“I think across the board, the question isn’t just ‘do we allow AI?'” said Adlof. “But it’s also when does AI support learning, and when might it get in the way of the learning, and how do we help distinguish the difference?”
WEAR News requested AI policies from some Northwest Florida school districts.
The Escambia County School District shared the following statement when asked about its AI policy:
AI usage is governed by all School Board policies, including several technology-specific policies. The most comprehensive policy would be the Code of Conduct Responsible Use Guidelines section.
The Santa Rosa County School District its AI policy can be found directly on its website.
The Okaloosa County School District sent WEAR News its AI policy below:
04-51 Artificial Intelligence (_AI_) Acceptable UsePDF preview
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