Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Sept. 30, 2025
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AI in Schools Is Surging, but Guidance Lags Behind
AI use by America's students and teachers has increased dramatically, jumping by 15 percentage points or more in the past one to two years. That's according to a new RAND report.
But despite this rapid adoption, guidance about using AI in the classroom is scarce. Only 35 percent of school district leaders reported training students on AI, and only 19 percent of students said they received guidance from their teachers.
The lack of instruction on using AI may be contributing to concern and anxiety among students and parents. Half of students said they are worried about being falsely accused of using AI to cheat.
Further, 55 percent of high schoolers, 48 percent of middle schoolers, and 61 percent of parents agreed that greater use of AI may harm students' critical-thinking skills. By contrast, only 22 percent of district leaders agreed.
The takeaway? While the lack of robust training, guidance, and policies is understandable, given how quickly AI has burst onto the scene, it's time to fill these gaps at the state, district, and school levels.
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Global Security and the Race to AGI
How might the race to artificial general intelligence shape international security and stability? To find out, RAND and Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania commissioned a wide-ranging series of papers by experts in AI, international relations, and national security. The series tackles strategic dilemmas--speed versus caution, perception versus reality, and competition versus cooperation--to explore how AGI can strengthen security rather than undermine it.
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Is Taiwan Prepared for an Attack by China?
Taiwan faces an existential threat from China. How ready is the island to endure a blockade, missile strikes, or even an invasion by Beijing? Civilian resilience--society's ability to prepare for, mitigate, survive, and recover from a crisis--is a crucial part of Taiwan's security. In a new episode of Policy Minded, RAND experts Marta Kepe and Scott Harold reveal where Taiwan stands today and what it will take to further strengthen its resilience.
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** More from Our Podcast
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Policy Minded picks the brains of the world's top policy experts. Other recent episodes have covered safety in schools, artificial general intelligence, and countering China in the Indo-Pacific.
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** RAND Recommends
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- Most clicked last week: a RAND study on China's demographic trends and how they might inform Washington's approach to managing relations with Beijing.
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- RAND's Wendy Troxel weighs in on the use of magnesium lotion, oils, and sprays to induce sleepiness: The research is "limited and equivocal at best."
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- In case you missed it, we launched a new series examining the social and economic opportunities, challenges, and trade-offs presented by AI adoption.
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** Events
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RAND Europe Foresight Forum
Monday, October 13, 2025 (London)
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China's Economic Future
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 (London)
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An Examination of Migration in Afghanistan
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 (Online)
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The 'Big Shift' from Hospitals to Communities
Thursday, November 6, 2025 (Online)
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