Empowering the next generation for an AI-enabled world
Experience AI's course and resources are expanding on a global scale
AI has the potential to drive one of the greatest social, economic and scientific transformations in history, and we need to ensure the technology benefits as many people as possible.
One important way to do this is through access to AI education to develop the next wave of thinkers, researchers, and AI leaders. It’s equally important to ensure that these new generations are diverse, bringing different perspectives that are essential for creating AI solutions that meet society's needs.
However, not every young person currently has access to AI education and resources.
Today, Google DeepMind and the Raspberry Pi Foundation are expanding access to the Experience AI program.
This comprehensive introductory course is designed for educators to teach 11-14 year old students foundational AI knowledge through responsible and interactive lesson materials, activities, and video tutorials. The materials, created with educational experts, align with proven learning and development practices. Now, we’re broadening the reach of the Experience AI program on a global scale, aiming to empower more students for an AI-enabled world.
Expanding access to meet the demand for AI education
Since launching last year, Experience AI has reached over 200,000 students worldwide with requests for translated materials from educators in countries including Canada, Kenya and Romania.
Originally focused on the UK and encouraging access especially from students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, the program’s demand has inspired a £1m investment to broaden the program’s reach, equipping more students for an AI-enabled world. This investment will help us work with regional delivery partners to tailor and translate the Experience AI Lessons, and to enable the training of thousands of teachers to deliver them in their classrooms.
Google DeepMind and the Raspberry Pi Foundation are assembling a global group of organizations at the leading edge of the movement for AI literacy to deliver training for local educators to teach the Lessons to their students. The first phase of the expansion is underway, with letters of intent signed with:
- Asociatia Techsoup (Romania) equips local non-profit organizations, schools, libraries, and charities with modern technological resources and training to drive social change.
- Digital Moment (Canada) is dedicated to empowering young change makers with vital digital skills like coding, data literacy, and AI through dynamic educational experiences aimed at social good. They advocate for ethical innovation and inclusive learning, providing diverse youth with the tools and opportunities to shape a brighter future.
- TechKidz Africa (Kenya) nurtures the next generation of tech innovators with tailored technology programs in robotics, coding, and digital design.
Our students now feel immensely more knowledgeable about the importance and place that AI has in their wider lives. These lessons and activities are engaging and accessible to students and educators alike, whatever their specialism may be.
Advancing our commitment to increasing diversity in AI
By expanding Experience AI globally, we also aim to further cultivate a more diverse community of scientists, engineers, and AI leaders to responsibly develop and deploy AI technologies. Increasing representation in AI allows for diverse values to shape its design and use.
This commitment to inclusivity also extends to our other initiatives and collaborations, including:
- Scholarships and Fellowships: We give funding to universities to support the provision of scholarships to underrepresented students pursuing graduate studies in AI and related fields. This includes providing financial aid, mentorship from Google DeepMind researchers and engineers, and access to AI conferences and events to build a community of diverse AI students and researchers. Our fellowships offer early-career researchers from underrepresented groups in AI-related fields postdoctoral funding and mentorships. Alongside financial support, we provide opportunities for fellows to be mentored by senior Google DeepMind researchers.
- AIMS AI for Science Masters: In September 2023, we supported a new 'AI for Science' pan-African Masters program through our collaboration with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) South Africa, a one-year residential program designed to build AI skills for scientists.
- Deep Learning Indaba: We've supported this annual gathering, which unites over 800 members of Africa's AI community for a week of education, research, and discussion on the latest AI advancements, with Google DeepMind researchers voluntarily co-founding the event.
By making AI education more inclusive, we can help young people make more informed decisions about using AI applications in their daily lives, and encourage safe and responsible use of the technology.
Ensuring everyone has a voice
For AI to truly benefit everyone, it must be influenced by everyone. This diversity is critical for ensuring AI technologies are aligned with the needs of all, and for realizing AI’s potential to become one of the most important technologies ever invented.
As we strive to create AI that benefits humanity, we will continue to place education at the core of our mission, inviting educators, students, enthusiasts, and everyone in between, to join us.