# Understanding the Artificial Intelligence Literacy Act of 2023

This bill is about making sure Americans learn how to understand and work with artificial intelligence. Right now, AI is everywhere—it powers your phone's voice assistant, recommends what you watch on Netflix, helps doctors diagnose diseases, and influences job hiring decisions. The bill recognizes that as AI becomes more common, people need basic knowledge about how it works, what it can and can't do, and what risks it might pose. Think of it like how computer literacy became essential in the 1990s—this bill argues that AI literacy is becoming just as important today.

The bill makes changes to an existing law called the Digital Equity Act to add AI education as a priority. It creates a grant program that gives money to schools, community colleges, universities, and community organizations to teach AI skills. For example, a high school might use grant money to train teachers in AI education or set up a computer lab where students can experiment with AI tools. A community college could develop courses for working adults who want to understand AI better. Libraries and other community centers could offer AI training programs to people in their neighborhoods. The bill specifically mentions that these programs should reach communities that have been left behind by the digital divide, including rural areas and communities of color.

The bill also acknowledges a real problem: there's a huge gap in who gets AI education. Black students earn only 7.5 percent of AI-related college degrees despite making up 14 percent of the population, and women make up only 25 percent of AI graduates. By funding these literacy programs, the bill aims to help more people from different backgrounds gain AI skills, both for jobs and for everyday life. Finally, the bill requires the government to report back to Congress each year about how these programs are working and whether they should be expanded to help even more people.

Artificial Intelligence Literacy Act of 2023

Blunt Rochester, Lisa

Artificial Intelligence Literacy Act of 2023This bill provides for grants under the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program to support training and programming on artificial intelligence in schools, colleges, and other community institutions.&nbsp;The Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program provides grants to governments, nonprofit organizations, and other entities to support efforts to achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion, and stimulate adoption of broadband. Under the bill, such grants may fund programs to support artificial intelligence literacy, including education on the basic principles, applications, and limitations of artificial intelligence.&nbsp;The bill also requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which administers the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, to report to Congress on any specific uses of grant funding that NTIA recommends for expansion or modification to benefit larger populations. &nbsp;