Schools Debate AI Use: Petaluma Drafts Policy, Beverly Hills Launches Task Force

Key Takeaways

• <ul><li>Petaluma City Schools is drafting a tiered AI policy: K-2 students would not use AI, grades 3-5 would learn about it but not use tools, grades 6-8 would use closed school tools, and grades 9-12 could use tools like Canva and Gemini with teacher permission.</li><li>Natrona County School District is cautiously evaluating AI tools for grading and data analysis, with board members concerned about job losses and student data risks.</li><li>Beverly Hills Unified School District launched a districtwide AI Task Force to build AI curriculum covering literacy, ethics, prompting, and research tools for secondary schools.</li><li>Pipedrive launched Nova AI meeting tool worldwide, integrating with Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams to brief, record, transcribe, and draft CRM updates at no extra cost.</li><li>A Quinnipiac University poll found 91% of Americans want AI guardrails, 81% prioritize safety over innovation, and 74% do not trust AI industry leaders.</li><li>StackHawk released Wingman, a tool that finds and fixes security flaws in code from AI agents like Claude Code, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot, with early testing resolving over 7,500 vulnerabilities.</li><li>An AI system is helping Washington State apple farmers determine optimal harvest timing, particularly when extreme heat like 38C temperatures makes fieldwork unsafe.</li><li>Iowa State University's Bacon Center is calling for regional AI planning and will launch an annual Iowa AI survey by late this year.</li><li>Mahweet University approved a new health center at its Faculty of Medicine and an AI course across all university programs.</li><li>Three UNCW faculty members will attend a community AI summit exploring how AI affects education, health care, and business.</li></ul>

Petaluma Schools Draft Tiered AI Policy for Students

Petaluma City Schools is drafting a policy on how students can use AI in class. The plan would limit AI use by grade level. Kindergarten through second grade students would not use AI. Students in grades three through five would learn about AI but not use tools. Grades six through eight would use closed school AI tools. Grades nine through twelve could use tools like Canva and Gemini with teacher permission. The policy has not been approved yet.

Natrona County Schools Question AI Use in Classrooms

Natrona County School District has been testing AI tools for tasks like grading and data analysis. Some school board members are worried about AI risks. Board member Karen Grady said the district should be careful. Leaders fear AI could reduce teaching jobs and put student data at risk. Superintendent Dr. Mike Coggin said the district is taking a cautious approach. The board plans to decide on AI use in the coming weeks.

Beverly Hills Schools Launch AI Task Force

The Beverly Hills Unified School District created a districtwide AI Task Force. The group includes students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Board members Amanda Stern and Russell Stuart are board liaisons. The task force will help build AI curriculum for secondary schools. It will cover AI literacy, ethics, prompting, and research tools. The district also trained teachers on AI tools. It piloted AI math tutoring at Beverly Vista Middle School. This work builds on Board Policy 6163.47 adopted in July.

Pipedrive Releases Nova AI Meeting Tool Worldwide

Pipedrive launched its Nova AI meeting tool globally. Nova works with Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. It gives pre-call briefings, records meetings, transcribes talks, and drafts CRM updates. The tool is included in all Pipedrive plans at no extra cost. Nova does not make changes without human approval. A study found 42% of sales time goes to non-revenue tasks. Australian company Snug tested Nova and said it saved 30 to 60 minutes per sales meeting.

Most Americans Back AI Safety Rules, Poll Finds

A Quinnipiac University poll found 91% of Americans want guardrails for AI. The poll was released October 1, 2026. It found 81% think safety should come before innovation. President Trump recently backed voluntary AI safety measures. But 74% of respondents do not trust AI industry leaders. About 53% think AI will do more harm than good. Nearly 73% worry advanced AI could threaten humanity. The poll surveyed 1,202 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Opinion: Stress testing reveals AI limitations

Mark Caserta wrote about an AI system that passed complex tests but failed when given a new task. This finding showed that AI has clear limitations in certain situations. He called on readers to think about the impact of AI on society. He stressed the need to reduce the risks of AI development.

ISU expert urges regions to plan for AI

Mike Howard, director of the Iowa State University Murray G. Bacon Center for AI Ethics in Business, said regions should create AI plans. He noted that AI is changing every industry and requires ongoing planning. The Bacon Center plans to launch an annual Iowa AI survey by late this year. The center also worked on a grant submission to create a regional AI planning hub. Local leaders support the idea of a plan to address workforce and AI readiness.

UNCW faculty to join community AI summit

Three UNCW faculty members will join a community summit on AI. Kevin Craig, Julian R. Keith, and Arthur Hughes will attend the event titled The AI Divide: Are We Prepared for the Future? The summit will explore how AI affects education, health care, and business. The faculty will share perspectives on human identity, cognitive science, higher education, supply chain, and career readiness.

Mahweet University approves health center and AI course

The Mahweet University Council, led by President Dr. Mohammed Al-Shalabi, approved a new health center at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The council also approved an artificial intelligence course across the university. The health center will offer primary care to students, faculty, and staff, along with training for medical students. The president stressed updating programs to match new developments.

AI safety needs government regulation, not self-rule

This article argues that AI companies cannot be trusted to regulate themselves. It says the only way to ensure AI safety is through government regulation. The author calls for rules that are transparent, accountable, and effective. Companies should be held responsible for harm caused by their AI systems. The article urges the government to prioritize human safety over corporate interests.

AI helps farmers decide when to harvest crops

An AI system is helping farmers in Washington State know when their crops are ready to pick. Last year, apple harvest day arrived but temperatures hit 38C, making it unsafe for workers to be in the fields. The AI tool helps solve the problem of timing harvests around dangerous weather conditions.

StackHawk launches Wingman to fix AI coding flaws

StackHawk released Wingman, a tool that finds and fixes security problems in code written by AI assistants like Claude Code, Cursor and GitHub Copilot. The tool works inside existing coding workflows and sends security findings back to the AI agent so issues can be corrected before a pull request is opened. Early users tested Wingman with more than five AI coding agents and it automatically fixed over 7,500 vulnerabilities, with 98% of those fixes staying resolved. Wingman costs $10 per user per month and includes 50 scans per user each month.

Sources

• Petaluma City Schools Draft Tiered AI Plan for Students
• Who owns the data? Natrona County schools confront AI question
• BHUSD launches AI task force - Beverly Press & Park Labrea News
• Pipedrive rolls out Nova AI meeting tool worldwide
• AI Safety Measures Widely Backed by Most Americans, Poll Finds
• Mark Caserta: Stress testing artificial intelligence (Opinion)
• ISU leader: Regions need an AI plan
• UNCW Faculty to Join Community Summit on AI
• Mahweet University Council Approves Health Center, AI Course
• Whatever AI Safety Is, It’s Not This
• The AI telling farmers when to harvest
• StackHawk launches Wingman to fix flaws in AI coding