Florida Department of Education

The Florida Board of Education has approved new rules governing artificial intelligence use in K-12 public schools and the state's 28 colleges. The vote, taken at a meeting at Polk State College, requires school districts to update internet-safety policies to address AI and directs colleges to set their own limits on classroom AI use.

Under the new rules, K-12 districts must notify parents when a student will use an AI product, obtain parental consent, and provide a non-AI alternative of similar quality if a parent declines. Districts have until July 1, 2027 to finalize policies. Additional review is required for AI tools used in PreK-5, and products cannot simulate emotional relationships with students, conduct undisclosed monitoring or profiling, or be used unsupervised. Colleges must bar AI use on graded work unless instructors permit it. Vendors must prioritize keeping student data in the U.S. and are barred from selling or exploiting that data. Officials described the approach as a middle ground between banning AI outright and allowing unrestricted access.

Florida is moving to formalize President Donald Trump's executive order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America." State Education Commissioner Henry Mack directed public schools to update academic standards and instructional materials "immediately" to reflect the change, and Google has updated Maps to show "Lake America" for U.S. users, citing its practice of following names set by the Geographic Names Information System. Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) has now introduced the "Lake America Act," which would codify the name change at the federal level, requiring all federal agencies to update maps and documents within 180 days.

The push mirrors Florida's response after Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" last year, when the Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis passed laws adopting the new name statewide and mandating it in K-12 materials. Patronis said the effort builds on that precedent. Reaction to the Lake Ontario renaming has been mixed, with Canadian officials unlikely to recognize the change, but Florida officials and federal agencies have moved quickly to align records and curricula with the administration's rebranding push.

The Florida Department of Education is proposing a rule that would require all 28 institutions in the Florida College System to adopt formal policies on artificial intelligence use. The policies would address academic integrity, course assignments, grading, and AI use by students, staff and campus guests. Education Commissioner Henry Mack approved the proposal, which the State Board of Education will consider at its September 16 meeting at Polk State College.

The rule defines AI instructional tools broadly but excludes AI designed to meet students' social or emotional needs, such as simulated relationships or anthropomorphic chatbots. It follows similar DOE efforts directing K-12 districts to set AI safeguards, including parental notification and opt-out rights, plus extra review for tools used in PreK-5. The move comes after state lawmakers failed to pass a broader AI Bill of Rights this year amid a standoff between DeSantis and House Speaker Daniel Perez. Florida is separately suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT contributed to violent incidents, including the 2025 Florida State University shooting.