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AI is showing up everywhere in K–12, and district IT teams are feeling it first. What started as a handful of tools has quickly turned into regular questions about what’s being used, how those tools interact with students, and what protections are actually in place.
In California, those questions have picked up speed with SB 243, a state law now in effect that focuses on how conversational AI tools respond to users, especially minors. The law sets expectations for reducing harmful or manipulative responses, requires safeguards in sensitive situations, and places responsibility on AI providers to design safer interactions. In short, SB 243 defines what responsible AI behavior should look like when students are involved.
While SB 243 applies directly to AI companies, it reshapes expectations for districts. When a law spells out how AI should behave around minors, districts are expected to understand whether the tools students are using meet those standards. That means knowing which AI tools are in use, how they handle student interactions, and what protections exist if something goes wrong.
Why SB 243 is landing on the desk of IT teams
In reality, AI oversight questions don’t stay theoretical for long. They show up as real, day-to-day issues.
A principal hears about a new AI tool students are using and asks if it’s allowed. A parent wants to know how the district knows that tool is safe. Leadership asks what guardrails are in place if something goes wrong. Procurement asks what assurances vendors can provide. Before long, all of those questions end up in the same place.
They usually land with IT.
That’s not because IT owns instruction. It’s because IT has visibility into the tools themselves and is often the only group that can explain where AI shows up in the environment and how it actually behaves in practice.
What SB 243 signals about AI oversight
At its core, SB 243 reflects a shift many districts are already experiencing. Student-facing AI has moved from “interesting experiment” to “something we actually need to manage.”
The law reinforces expectations districts are already wrestling with, like:
- Making it obvious when someone is interacting with AI
- Putting real guardrails in place to limit harmful or inappropriate content
- Knowing what to do when an AI conversation raises a serious safety concern
- Avoiding AI designs that push unhealthy or manipulative engagement
Even when these expectations technically sit with AI platforms, districts still need confidence that the tools students use actually meet them. More and more, IT teams are being asked to provide that clarity.
Why blocking AI is not enough
Blocking AI is often the first instinct, and it makes sense. It feels decisive.
But most IT teams know it only goes so far. New tools pop up constantly. Classroom use looks different from school to school. Students are creative when it comes to workarounds. Blocking may limit access, but it does not answer the bigger questions districts are being asked about how AI is actually being used.
SB 243 reflects a shift in thinking. Instead of relying only on restriction, the focus is moving toward visibility, awareness, and safety signals.
Districts that can see how AI tools are being used, understand where risk may exist, and explain their approach clearly are in a much better position when questions come from leadership, educators, or families.
How Securly supports AI oversight
As part of safetyOS™, our AI Transparency Solution helps IT teams understand how AI tools are actually being used in real student interactions. It provides visibility into AI-related activity, surfaces potential safety concerns tied to those interactions, and replaces guesswork with clarity.
Instead of relying on assumptions or one-time vendor assurances, IT teams get a clearer picture of what is happening across their environment and where attention may be needed.
Moving forward with confidence
SB 243 is one example of how expectations around AI are changing in schools, and it likely will not be the last.
AI is not slowing down, and the questions districts are getting are becoming more specific. IT teams that have visibility into AI tools and student interactions are better positioned to respond with confidence, instead of scrambling for answers after an issue comes up.
We are always happy to walk through how districts are approaching AI transparency and oversight in real school environments.
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