Artificial intelligence and machine learning are gaining prominence in current society at a rapidly increasing rate. The early 2000s witnessed a resurgence of AI research and led to the development of several intuitive tools that slowly enhanced the demand for AI and ML products in the global economy. This would culminate in the development of language models that galvanized the market once again and kickstarted a global competition in the race to develop advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning protocols. As generative AI and machine learning make their way into a variety of different sectors, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the future of AI looks very promising and that the demand for experts in the domain will only grow ever larger. Now, while education equips students with the necessary skills to lead a dignified life, it must also hone their talents so they become capable of making a living in the modern economy.
In this regard, AI education and skills might prove to be crucial tools in training students to adapt to an increasingly AI-dependent world. The dawn of the internet changed the world forever; similarly, as artificial intelligence’s capabilities are primed to fit more specific human requirements, the market for it will only expand and remain perpetually relevant to civilization going forward. Like all education, providing students with a basic set of AI skills might not only allow them to navigate a society that relies on machine learning protocols but also helps provide the additional option of choosing a career in AI.
AI Learning and a Practical Approach to Education
Approaching AI skills through a multidisciplinary approach will better expose students to the many roles artificial intelligence fulfills in today’s world.
Apart from the growing demand for AI professionals that can create and maintain key algorithms, the society of tomorrow will be expected to have at least a basic understanding of artificial intelligence due to the world’s growing dependence on these technologies. The arrival of ChatGPT exposed everyone to the growing capabilities of AI, where any user can generate large volumes of text by just entering a prompt. Applications of such technologies are already being scaled up to support AI-powered search engines and indexing algorithms to simplify humanity’s approach to data. The demand-driven proliferation of chatbots has invariably led to a growing number of these technologies, and every major player in the tech industry is looking to capitalize on the AI boom. Against the backdrop of such global phenomena, it is indeed apparent that humanity’s accelerated research into the AI domain—fuelled by a sense of competition and urgency—will no doubt lead to a massive scale of innovation. As humans adapt to this fast-paced world, education will have to match up commensurately to prepare students for a rapidly digitizing world.
AI education and skills, if introduced at the school level, might acclimate students to the technologies humans might become increasingly familiar with. While tools like ChatGPT and Bard exist as experimental and business-facing frameworks today, their utilization to develop more pointed AI tools will be an eventuality. A growing number of employees have already begun exploring the prospects of using tools like ChatGPT in the workplace, and while such practices have been met with initial resistance, regulations on their usage might be relaxed going forward. AI will also gradually make its way to more sensitive areas of human life such as healthcare and in fields such as STEM, making AI learning a potentially beneficial skill to prepare for careers in modernizing disciplines.
The Potential Advantages of AI Education and Teaching Machine Learning Basics
Revamping education to suit the needs of the modern world will prove beneficial for students across the board.
Apart from mathematical and data interpretation skills, teaching AI to students at an early stage might also bring out the tendency to innovate in young students. As a growing discipline with vast scope, AI education provides the promise for a bright future along with problem-solving skills and an intuitive approach. Early exposure to AI might help them quickly adopt complex methodologies if they choose artificial intelligence and machine learning as their career path. This reduces both time and effort spent in acclimating students to basic concepts of AI at the higher education level. AI education acquired in school might also help students showcase useful and currently-relevant learnings highly valued in the job market. The inclusion of AI testing and other educational aids such as intelligent tutors will further drive students’ firsthand experience of AI and interacting with autonomous systems. Adaptive learning, while a useful tool for teaching students courses in existing curriculums, can also be primed to teach machine learning basics. Moreover, existing programs in math, statistics, and probability can be utilized to drive forth learning in the disciplines of analytics and big data.
AI skills can also be approached through other subjects such as science, social studies, language, and computer studies. This will expose students to the scope and concepts of artificial intelligence via multiple sources. The integrated approach will enhance a multidisciplinary perspective on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Involving basic coding exercises and the creation of simplistic AI tools at the school level will also induce curiosity and the incentive to learn a practical skill for students. Balancing human intelligence with key tenets of AI will help prepare the next generation of professionals to use AI as a tool to enhance productivity and technical proficiency.
Challenges in AI Education and Implementing AI in Schools
Educational equity, parity, and quality will have to be ensured prior to the commencement of AI-focused courses.
Apart from the infrastructure and logistical backing to implement AI education and skill training in schools, making qualified AI teaching professionals is equally important. Streamlining a defined AI curriculum will require multidisciplinary participation along with the implementation of ethical principles and academic integrity. As AI learning gains prominence in the educational setup, questions regarding educational equity will also have to be carefully considered and addressed. AI literacy prepares students for a world that will soon witness the ubiquity of these algorithms. Equal opportunities and scope will make way for a well-trained and educated workforce across the spectrum. As regulations surrounding AI are carefully deliberated over by policymakers, AI skills and education will also have to be considered to prevent students from being exposed to an outdated curriculum that does not address the practicalities of the current world.