Expert tells House Education Committee Virginia must teach judgment along with AI tools
January 19, 2026 | 2026 Legislature VA, Virginia
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Linda McNutt Foster, CEO of Cortex Leadership Consulting, told the Virginia House Education Committee on Feb. 9, 2026, that the state’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence requires a matching investment in people who can exercise judgment and ethical oversight.
“Approximately 1,500,000 jobs, about 35% of the workforce in the Commonwealth, are exposed to AI impacts today,” McNutt Foster said, arguing that adoption is not the same as readiness and that schools should teach skills that let people evaluate and steer AI output. She listed six teachable capabilities — outcome framing, evidence discipline, ethical judgment, empathy, collaboration and output discernment — and said those must be embedded from kindergarten through higher education.
The presentation framed AI readiness as a workforce and education issue rather than purely a technology rollout. McNutt Foster told the committee that businesses often deploy AI "without clear human oversight, ethical guardrails, or consistent judgment," and recommended that legislators consider whether bills fund both tools and the necessary training for the workers who will steer them.
Committee members responded with support and follow-up. Delegate Amy Lofker thanked the presenters and identified a pending joint resolution she sponsored to study higher education implementation and assessment of AI-related instruction. Delia Jessica Anderson said she had met William & Mary’s new computing and data science leadership and described broad variation in students’ AI experience and readiness.
Why it matters: Lawmakers will review numerous education bills this session that touch on AI and workforce readiness. McNutt Foster urged the committee to use “the human edge” as a lens for legislation — to prioritize not only acquisition of tools but investment in the human skills needed to use them safely.
What’s next: McNutt Foster told members they will likely review hundreds of bills that touch on AI; she recommended evaluating each measure for whether it funds both tools and training. The committee did not take formal action on AI policy at this meeting.
“Approximately 1,500,000 jobs, about 35% of the workforce in the Commonwealth, are exposed to AI impacts today,” McNutt Foster said, arguing that adoption is not the same as readiness and that schools should teach skills that let people evaluate and steer AI output. She listed six teachable capabilities — outcome framing, evidence discipline, ethical judgment, empathy, collaboration and output discernment — and said those must be embedded from kindergarten through higher education.
The presentation framed AI readiness as a workforce and education issue rather than purely a technology rollout. McNutt Foster told the committee that businesses often deploy AI "without clear human oversight, ethical guardrails, or consistent judgment," and recommended that legislators consider whether bills fund both tools and the necessary training for the workers who will steer them.
Committee members responded with support and follow-up. Delegate Amy Lofker thanked the presenters and identified a pending joint resolution she sponsored to study higher education implementation and assessment of AI-related instruction. Delia Jessica Anderson said she had met William & Mary’s new computing and data science leadership and described broad variation in students’ AI experience and readiness.
Why it matters: Lawmakers will review numerous education bills this session that touch on AI and workforce readiness. McNutt Foster urged the committee to use “the human edge” as a lens for legislation — to prioritize not only acquisition of tools but investment in the human skills needed to use them safely.
What’s next: McNutt Foster told members they will likely review hundreds of bills that touch on AI; she recommended evaluating each measure for whether it funds both tools and training. The committee did not take formal action on AI policy at this meeting.
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