Edmond parent Brad Browning does not want his kindergartener using artificial intelligence in school. Under a new state law, his district will soon have to decide where to draw that line.

Senate Bill 1734, the Oklahoma Responsible Technology in Schools Act, requires every Oklahoma school district to adopt a written AI policy before the 2027-28 school year. The law passed unanimously through both legislative chambers. It took effect July 1, making Oklahoma one of 13 states regulating AI in education, Oklahoma Watch first reported Monday, Oct. 5.

The law bars schools from using AI as the primary basis for high-stakes decisions such as student retention, discipline, placement or grading. Educators must keep final decision-making authority over any AI-generated output. Districts must tell families which student-facing AI tools are in use and allow parents to opt out at any time through written notice, according to KOCO. Students cannot be penalized for opting out.

The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) released a model policy and guidance document in July 2026 to help districts comply. The guidance recommends a rating scale for appropriate AI use on each assignment and requires students to cite AI and link to chat logs.

Karen Leonard, director of the OSDE's Office of AI and Digital Learning, told Oklahoma Watch that AI detection software is too unreliable to catch plagiarized work.

Age limits vary widely

The state guidance does not set a minimum age for student AI use. That gap has produced starkly different approaches among districts that have already acted.

Epic Charter Schools, the state's largest online school, adopted its AI policy before the fall 2026 semester. Epic authorizes Google Gemini only for students 13 and older. Owasso Public Schools went further. For the 2026-27 school year, Owasso expanded Google Gemini access to students in third grade and up, according to Oklahoma Watch.

Browning, a father of five, told Oklahoma Watch he would accept limited AI use in middle school and more in high school. A 2025 Common Sense Media evaluation found Google Gemini, even with added protections for minors, still shared inappropriate content to children, including material related to sex, drugs and alcohol, Oklahoma Watch reported.

"We live with it by still teaching kids how to be human, because those are going to be the invaluable pieces of the marketplace of the future," Browning told Oklahoma Watch.

AI already in OKC classrooms

Oklahoma City Public Schools showcased Amira Learning, an AI-powered reading assistant, at Coolidge Elementary in May 2026, according to OK Business Voice. State lawmakers and education leaders attended the demonstration. Whether OKCPS has since adopted a formal AI policy under the new law is unclear.

Under state guidelines, students should use AI only under adult supervision. Several district leaders told Oklahoma Watch that students access AI tools on district-issued devices outside school, and districts rely on monitoring software to catch misuse.

Lindsey Sherwood of Distraction-Free Schools told KOCO that parents who want to opt out do not need to wait for a district form.

All districts must have policies in place before the 2027-28 school year and must notify parents annually of AI tools in use after that.