(A New) Class Is In Session: How To Incorporate AI In Education
Everywhere we look, students, schools and teachers are reevaluating what constitutes a successful education experience. But amid the pandemic-related shakeups, there's another pressing education reevaluation on my mind: the growing imperative to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into our curriculums.
Typically, AI instruction is relegated to a college course, or even a graduate one. But to me, it's not enough for a few specialized people to learn about AI in the latter years of college. AI is now pervasive in our everyday lives - in the voice assistants in our homes, the Netflix algorithm suggesting our next binge-watch and the robot taking inventory at our local grocery store. For many people, it's alongside them when they work. In 2019, Gartner reportedly found that 37% of enterprises have deployed AI or have imminent plans to do so - up 270% from just four years before. These daily AI applications are multiplying each year, touching all corners of our lives while most people lack even an elementary understanding of how the technology works.
There have been some efforts to introduce AI into schools, but these initiatives are just scratching the surface. It's time for schools to reevaluate their approach to teaching kids about a technology that's only becoming more commonplace. Here are three best practices for incorporating AI in education.
Educate Educators
Teachers can't teach what they don't yet know, and as we've already established, many people have never had any formal education on AI. The very first step to introducing AI into schools is arming teachers with the necessary resources and knowledge to feel comfortable talking about the subject.
This may sound overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. The subject matter doesn't need to be overly technical, especially in the lower grades; just a working knowledge of what the technology is and an understanding of its impact on our day-to-day lives is enough. There are ample online resources, including tools like Google's Teachable Machine or TensorFlow Playground, that can give teachers greater comfort with the key concepts.
Teachers can also gain familiarity by using AI in their profession - an emerging application of the technology that's not necessarily widespread yet. I recently sat down with Paul Johansen, an executive at Edmentum, to talk about early applications of AI in education. Paul shared that not only can AI and automation manage routine tasks to free up teachers' limited time, but it can also examine student data to help make more personalized educational recommendations for students, which is especially valuable when teachers can't be in person to closely monitor progress.
Nobody expects teachers to suddenly be AI experts, but familiarity with key concepts, applications and effects will prepare them to teach their students the basics.
Start Early, Incorporate Often
In a recent episode of my company's podcast, we welcomed Dave Touretzky, a computer science professor and creator of an initiative to teach AI in grades K-12. At first glance, teaching AI to kindergarteners seems kind of crazy. But Dave pointed out that kids are actually already familiar with AI, especially applications like Alexa and Siri, before they ever step foot in a school building. Teaching kids about these applications only provides them with the tools to make sense of this seemingly magical technology.
From there, many curriculums won't have the space for a dedicated AI class, but there are still opportunities to weave learnings into other areas of the curriculum. Current events can explore the latest national news on hot topics like facial recognition, AI and jobs or the smart home; economics class can examine the impact of AI on business; history class can discuss the innovation cycle and how AI is similar or different from previous groundbreaking technology advancements.
AI doesn't have to dominate the curriculum to become a valuable element. There are ample opportunities to examine AI's intersection with other subjects and provide students with a more holistic understanding.
Encourage Students To Question Everything
I've dedicated much of my career to working with AI, and I believe in its benefits for both business and society, but that doesn't mean I think we should accept all AI applications without question. There are important ethical considerations that we need to collectively weigh - beginning in school.
As teachers introduce concepts and cutting-edge technologies, it's important to examine the benefits and pitfalls and the larger impact this technology is likely to have. Dave, for example, recommends asking questions like "Who may benefit from this technology?" or "Who may be harmed by this technology?" There are many complex and fascinating questions about AI to consider, including its place in the workplace, government and cities, and what, if any, restrictions we should impose on it. Imparting information about the technology without considering its implications only goes halfway. As in humanities, math or economics class, it's also critical to teach kids to consider how this subject intersects with our real lives.
To the average person, including educators and students, learning about AI may initially seem complex, daunting or even insurmountable. But AI is not a niche topic, and it's time we stopped treating it like one in our schools. Students should not need a graduate-level education in order to understand the technology that surrounds us daily and the impact it has on our lives - from our jobs to our Amazon recommendations to the Google autofill suggesting the end of this sentence.
As we collectively reevaluate what makes for a successful education this year and beyond, it's time to factor AI into the equation and begin to arm students with the knowledge and critical thinking necessary to succeed in an AI-driven world.