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“Day of AI” Spark Classroom Talks on AI’s Societal Impacts

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Thousands of Students Worldwide Participate in Second Annual “Day of AI”

On May 18th, 2022, several thousand students from around the world participated in the second annual “Day of AI,” which is further evidence of the growing importance of artificial intelligence to schools. According to Cynthia Breazeal, the director of the Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education (RAISE) initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — the event’s organizer –the extraordinary progress made in AI over the past year has created an urgent need for conversations about who and what is affected by this technology and why.

K-12 Schools Across America are Already Utilizing Artificial Intelligence

According to a recent special report by Education Week, K-12 schools across the United States are already using AI for everything from personalizing student learning to classroom observations. Additionally, a coalition of influential groups, including Code.org and the Educational Testing Service, has launched an effort to help integrate AI into school curricula. The International Society for Technology in Education has made related learning opportunities available to both teachers and students alike.

The RAISE initiative at MIT provides classroom lessons on topics such as “What Can AI Do?” and “ChatGPT in School.” Daniella DiPaola, an MIT doctoral student who helped develop the Day of AI curriculum, explains that the approach is to weave ethical, social, and policy considerations throughout technical explanations. Central to the curriculum is the “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights,” which was released by the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in late 2022. The curriculum focuses on fostering discussion of the Bill of Rights, ensuring that societal impact is an essential part of the process.

MIT RAISE Initiative Focuses on Engaging Artificial Intelligence as a Helping Companion

Marc Aidinoff, who helped lead the creation of the Bill of Rights during his time as OSTP’s chief of staff, said that students treated AI as a knowable, complicated thing that they could take action on during the “Day of AI.” This is in contrast to the grown-ups’ reaction to AI, often treated as an unknowable, all-powerful thing that could paralyze them with amorphous fears. One benefit of engaging AI as a potentially helpful companion is that it encourages focusing on specific use cases and threats rather than those paralyzing fears. Considering how AI can best support humans also encourages discussions of general themes and principles such as fairness that teachers are already accustomed to exploring with their students.

MIT Curriculum Provides a Highly Interactive and Effective Way to Teach About AI’s Promise and Potential Pitfalls

Kristen Thomas Clarke, a literacy and information technology teacher at the private Media-Providence Friends School in Pennsylvania, explained that they mixed digital citizenship and media literacy activities into their lessons on coding and robotics long before the emergence of ChatGPT. But their initial reaction to ChatGPT was fear. However, after adopting MIT’s interactive curriculum, Thomas Clarke and her school administration changed their perspective and concluded that the curriculum enhanced students’ knowledge, rather than replace it with ChatGPT’s ability to do their homework for them.

FAQs

What is the “Day of AI”?

The “Day of AI” is an annual event that brings together students from around the world to explore the rising significance of artificial intelligence in education and other industries.

How are K-12 schools Across America Using Artificial intelligence?

K-12 schools across the United States are using AI for everything from personalizing student learning to conducting classroom observations, according to a recent report by Education Week. A coalition of influential groups such as Code.org and the Educational Testing Service recently launched an effort to help schools and state education departments integrate AI into curricula. The International Society for Technology in Education has made related learning opportunities available to both teachers and students alike.

What are the main goals of the MIT RAISE Initiative?

The main objective of the MIT RAISE Initiative is to offer free classroom lessons to students worldwide on artificial intelligence while weaving ethical, social, and policy considerations throughout technical explanations. The curriculum fosters a discussion of the “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights” to ensure that the societal impact is a crucial aspect of the process, and that AI is engaged as a potentially helpful companion.

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