Sens Cantwell, Moran Introduce Bill to Boost AI Education

Sen Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Sen Jerry Moran (R-KS), a senior member of the Commerce Committee, introduced the bipartisan NSF AI Education Act of 2026 to expand scholarship and professional development opportunities to study artificial intelligence with support from the National Science Foundation. The NSF AI Education Act would authorize the agency to award undergraduate and graduate scholarships in AI, including scholarships focused on the use of AI in agriculture, education and advanced manufacturing. It would create fellowships for professional development for those already in the STEM and education workforce. It would require NSF to work with educators and academics to create guidance to introduce AI skills and education in K-12 classrooms and create Centers of Excellence at community colleges. It would also create grants for AI research, development and training in agriculture through Land-Grant Universities and the Cooperative Extension Service.