Vision: All Texas students are prepared to thrive personally and professionally in an AI-partnered world.
The Texas AI in Education Task Force convened in Spring 2026 with the goals of identifying the key factors affecting Texas’s ability to achieve AI literacy for every student and developing recommendations to build a coherent, strategic K–12 AI education pipeline and ecosystem. The group included representation from academia, industry, K–12 education, and community members. The convenings of the Texas AI in Education Task Force resulted in four key recommendations outlined below. Our overall consensus is that AI is poised to reshape every aspect of our lives, from the way we work to how we live. But, while the vast majority of US states have provided guidance related to AI in education, Texas has not. Texas must act now to ensure our educators and students lead the nation in safe and effective utilization of frontier technologies that will change the world.
Texas should designate a leader with the authority to coordinate a statewide K-12 AI strategy and convene an advisory board of educators, parents, industry representatives, and policymakers. Without central accountability, the state's response will remain fragmented across 1,200+ independent districts.
Texas should publish guidance covering responsible use policies for both educators and students, data privacy, AI procurement and student assessment. Guidance should also reflect the need for community and family engagement in the creation and implementation of local policies.
The state should invest in a coordinated, hub-and-spoke initiative to build AI literacy across all educators and administrators. The existing Texas Computer Science Pipeline network should be expanded to address AI safety, responsible use, and instructional integration as appropriate, while building long-term capacity in educator preparation programs.
Texas should incorporate AI literacy through a phased approach of updating the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
Expanding Pathways in Computing Directorate
cfletcher@tacc.utexas.edu
Director of Computer Science Education
aantoine@tacc.utexas.edu
Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly become integral in daily life, and Texas K-12 students and educators are navigating the opportunities and risks largely on their own. The Texas AI in Education Task Force, a coalition of educators, administrators, higher education professionals, industry leaders, parents, and nonprofit representatives, convened by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin, produced this report to offer state policymakers a clear-eyed assessment of where Texas stands and a concrete path forward.