Montana officials push AI literacy, teacher supports and workforce pathways

Montana education and workforce officials presented a range of programs March 10 aimed at equipping students, teachers and workers for the fast‑moving impacts of artificial intelligence and robotics.

Lucas Roussy of the Office of Public Instruction described a living AI guidance document produced with the Montana Digital Academy to help districts evaluate benefits and risks, protect student data and implement guardrails in K–12 settings. “When used, AI applications should be treated similar to other digital tools,” Roussy said, noting the guidance will be reviewed biannually and that final implementation decisions rest with districts.

Jason Neiffer, executive director of the Montana Digital Academy, outlined the Frontier Learning Lab’s supports for teachers, including an AI help desk, professional workshops and curated resources. He emphasized measured classroom deployment and troubleshooting the ‘‘vending‑machine’’ use of AI as a shortcut for work rather than a thought partner for learning.

Joseph Thiel, deputy commissioner with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, and Crystal Armstrong of the Department of Labor described higher‑education and workforce coordination: shared procurement for AI tools (chat.mt.ai), faculty training, AI competency pathways, and 4‑0‑6 sector priorities for employer‑led partnerships. Thiel highlighted applications in drought monitoring, health research and prescribed‑fire management; Armstrong described workforce tools for upskilling small businesses and AI literacy aligned with federal frameworks.

Panelists asked lawmakers to balance innovation with safeguards, and to support cross‑agency approaches — from K–12 professional learning to credential registries and apprenticeships — to ensure Montana’s workers and students can both use AI and understand its limits.

What happens next: Agencies will continue cross‑agency work and suggested the committee maintain oversight as federal guidance and state pilots develop; officials encouraged public comment on guidance documents as they evolve.