The College Board is redesigning AP Computer Science Principles to teach students how to work with AI "responsibly, safely, and confidently." The changes take effect in fall 2027 and do not affect students taking the course in 2026-27.
Students will study machine learning, AI algorithm development, the ethics and effects of AI, and responsible AI and human decision-making. They will write and evaluate code with and without AI tools, including checking whether AI-generated code is correct. The course will have four units plus an optional fifth, along with required hands-on AI labs.
The familiar Create performance task will be replaced by an AI Create Project, in which students build an AI application for real users, with at least 9 hours of class time and an April 30 deadline. Starting in 2028-29, the project must be written in an approved text-based programming language. A preview of the framework is available now; the full course description comes in spring 2027.
Source: College Board AP Central, November 2026 (redesign page and framework preview) — https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles/redesign
