The U.S. Department of Education (Department) recognizes the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) systems and generated content to support the mission of promoting student achievement and ensuring equal access. The use of AI in the development of grant application materials is allowable. However, it should be noted that the use of AI may introduce significant risks (such as, but not limited to, bias, inaccuracy, falsification, and plagiarism), and applicants and awardees are responsible for ensuring the integrity of application materials. Applicants are fully responsible for the content of grant applications and will be held accountable if their project design, even if it was developed with the assistance of AI, has discriminatory or other adverse outcomes when implemented.
We encourage applicants and grantees to become familiar and align with the principles of responsible use discussed in Executive Order 14110, the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. For those applicants who are proposing in their grant applications to develop or implement new AI systems for use in educational settings, the Department highly encourages applicants to review the recent resources produced by the Department. These resources provide valuable insights that can guide the responsible development and implementation of AI-based tools and services intended to improve education outcomes. For more information on the use of AI in Education, please visit: The Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology (OET).
Any questions related to an open grant competition may be directed to the point of contact indicated in the Notice Inviting Application. Current grantees may also reach out to the project officer.
_______________________
Statement on Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the Transcription or Recording of Meetings by ED Grantees
The Department is clarifying that the use of AI for the transcription (including the capture of meeting notes) or recording of meetings that are connected to grants supported by the Department is generally permissible unless otherwise precluded by law. However, grantees should be aware of the following considerations:
- Notification: Grantees should notify (1) all attendees via a written and verbal disclaimer that they are enabling the AI transcription or recording of meetings prior to doing so and, (2) attendees of the ways in which the transcription will be used, including if the transcript will be distributed to meeting participants. When meeting participants decline to participate in a meeting that will be transcribed or recorded, grantees may need to find alternative ways to conduct the meeting.
- Accuracy: After an AI-transcribed meeting has ended, grantees should review and appropriately edit the transcript to ensure clarity and accuracy. Grantees should be aware this process can be time- and resource-intensive.
- Distribution: As a good practice, grantees should offer a reviewed and appropriately edited transcript to all meeting participants after the AI-transcribed meeting has ended.
- Agency Requests: Under some circumstances, Department employees may require that an AI recording and/or AI transcription function be disabled for meetings in which Department employees participate (e.g., Department sponsored meetings with grantees or Department employees declining to participate in recorded meetings sponsored by grantees, applicants, or other non-Department entities).
- Records Retention: Any transcript or other related records generated by AI (including original and edited transcripts) in a meeting supported by Department grant funds must be retained as grant records per 2 CFR § 200.334 for a period of at least three years following the submission of the final performance report of the grant.
- Privacy: Before using AI transcription or recording services or products, grantees should ensure an appropriate understanding of how data is processed and take appropriate steps to protect confidential or personally identifiable information. Generally, meeting participants should avoid discussing personally identifiable information as a safeguard against unauthorized sharing, as well as to make it easier to share the transcripts and to respond to requests to access the transcripts. The Department’s Office of Educational Technology has provided non-regulatory guidance on the use of AI in education that grantees may find useful in managing privacy considerations, along with other AI resources like Executive Order 14110, the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.
For any questions regarding this guidance, please reach out to your project officer.
**Please note: Any Further AI Grants Policy Updates forthcoming will be posted here.