As state leaders work to prepare Connecticut residents for an increasingly technology-driven economy, Southern Connecticut State University continues to contribute to conversations about artificial intelligence, education, and workforce readiness. Those efforts were recently featured in a FOX61 report on the state’s new AI law.
Dr. Colleen Bielitz, interim vice president for institutional advancement, discussed both the opportunities and challenges presented by the legislation, which establishes statewide AI education initiatives and expands computer science instruction in K-12 schools.
“We’ve needed this legislation for a while,” Bielitz told FOX61. “As somebody who stayed on top of AI governance, I have to say SB 5 is one of the most comprehensive AI laws in the nation.”
The legislation, signed into law by Governor Ned Lamont on June 2, establishes new guardrails for artificial intelligence while creating pathways to prepare students, educators, and workers for an AI-driven future. Among its education-focused provisions, SB 5 adds computer science and artificial intelligence concepts to Connecticut’s public school curriculum, creates a statewide AI Academy, and establishes an AI Higher Education Alliance to support research, workforce development, and collaboration among colleges, universities, and industry partners.
In the FOX61 story, Bielitz highlighted both the promise and challenges of expanding AI education. She emphasized the importance of ensuring equitable access to technology as schools implement the new requirements and noted that AI should enhance learning rather than replace the critical thinking and deep engagement that come from the educational process.
“We can’t have these systems that have students think that everything is just quick bits of information because then it’s just a surface level of learning,” Bielitz told FOX61.
Bielitz added that meaningful learning requires time, repetition, and patience, even as new technologies continue to reshape the educational landscape.
Southern also continues to play a leading role in conversations around innovation, technology, and workforce development through initiatives such as The Hive at Southern and its participation in statewide partnerships focused on artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and emerging industries.
Read the full FOX61 story: “Connecticut AI law could reshape how students learn from kindergarten to college”
