With increased use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, Oklahoma educators want to prepare students for a future shaped by the technology.
A Pew Research Center study found that about 1 in 5 American workers now use artificial intelligence on the job. While more than half of Americans say they are concerned about AI’s increasing role, schools across the state are focusing on how to teach students to understand and use the technology responsibly.
Broken Arrow High School is among the first in the state to offer a full course dedicated to artificial intelligence. The class launched at the start of the 2026 semester and is open to juniors and seniors.
“This course is really focused on what the tool is, what the technology is and what it looks like,” said Brandon Chitty, executive director of instructional technology and virtual programs for Broken Arrow Public Schools. “It talks about ethics. It talks about bias. It goes into the root of it and kind of takes the magic away.”
About 150 students are currently enrolled in the course, and district leaders say there are plans to expand AI instruction in the future.
Despite widespread concern about artificial intelligence, Chitty said he is optimistic about its role in education, particularly in K-12 classrooms.
“We don’t want AI to take the challenge,” Chitty said. “We want AI to partner in the challenge so we can get even further. If it can change the starting spot, then we can actually go farther in our tasks than where we started.”
Chitty said students are enthusiastic about the new class as they begin thinking seriously about careers and long-term job prospects.
“At this age, they’re starting to think about their future and how they’re going to survive — what their livelihood is going to be,” he said.
That focus continues at the collegiate level. At the University of Oklahoma Polytechnic Institute, faculty members are teaching students the fundamentals of artificial intelligence as part of the state’s first bachelor’s degree program in applied artificial intelligence.
Associate Professor John Hassell said the program emphasizes what AI can and cannot do.
“It’s not a robot. It’s not augmented reality. It’s not virtual reality,” Hassell said. “We teach the fundamental nature of AI, what it’s capable of and what it is not. We call that the jagged frontier.”
Hassell said students also learn how to integrate artificial intelligence into daily workflows and professional environments.
The applied AI degree program is in its first year and currently has about 15 students enrolled, though university leaders expect enrollment to grow. OU Polytechnic also offers degrees in related fields such as cybersecurity and software development.
Graduate student Daren Diaz said those programs are becoming increasingly valuable in the job market as employers seek workers with technical skills tied to emerging technologies.
Hassell said the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence makes the field especially appealing.
“AI is absolutely an exciting frontier,” he said. “Nobody is an expert in everything about AI. We’re all trying to get a grasp on how it can be leveraged in our lives, no matter what we do.”
Educators say that makes some Oklahoma students pioneers in what could be the next major technological revolution.
