Florida is moving to put guardrails on artificial intelligence in higher education, with the State Board of Education set to review a proposed statewide rule Wednesday that would require every Florida College System institution to adopt formal AI policies for students, staff and guests.

The rule would direct each college’s Board of Trustees to set standards for how AI tools can be used on campus, with two provisions likely to draw the most attention from parents and taxpayers: a default ban on AI-assisted coursework unless an instructor explicitly signs off, and a requirement that parents of enrolled minors be notified before their child is required to use an AI tool as part of a class.

Restoring academic standards

The default prohibition on AI use for graded work marks a notable check on a technology that has spread through classrooms faster than most institutions have been able to regulate it. Rather than leaving individual professors or ed-tech vendors to set the rules on the fly, the state would establish a baseline: students don’t get to lean on AI to do their academic work unless a teacher affirmatively allows it. Supporters of the standards-first approach argue that without clear rules, AI risks quietly eroding the value of a college degree by making it easier for students to skip the actual learning.

Parents get a seat at the table

The proposed rule’s parental-notification requirement is arguably its most consequential provision. Under the plan, parents of minors enrolled in Florida colleges would have to be told directly if their child will use an AI instructional tool as part of a course — giving families visibility into how a new and largely untested technology is being used with their children, rather than leaving that decision entirely to administrators and instructors.

Some Florida colleges have already begun experimenting with AI tools in limited capacities, including Lake-Sumter State College and Seminole State College, according to the state’s proposal documents. The new rule would require any such use to be disclosed and governed by an institution-wide policy rather than left to ad hoc adoption.

Every Florida College System institution would be required to make its AI policies available to students, employees, and anyone else using the technology on campus. The rule would also require those policies to comply with existing state and federal law.

The State Board of Education is also expected to take up a related amendment to its Internet Safety Policy addressing AI use during Wednesday’s meeting.

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