Starting next year, schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will introduce artificial intelligence (AI) as a subject for students from kindergarten to 12th grade.
Fostering Awareness of Ethics of the Technology
Schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will start teaching artificial intelligence (AI) as a subject from kindergarten to 12th grade students starting next year. The inclusion of AI in the country’s education curriculum is intended to prepare residents of the Middle East nation for “a new world.”
The change to the UAE’s curriculum was announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, vice president and ruler of Dubai, via social media. Mohammed bin Rashid commended the country’s Education Ministry for producing a curriculum that acknowledges the importance of AI. He added:
Our goal is to teach our children a deep understanding of AI from a technical perspective, while also fostering their awareness of the ethics of this new technology, enhancing their understanding of its data, algorithms, applications, risks, and its connection to society and life.
According to a report in The National, the AI curriculum is divided into three cycles. The first involves comparing humans and machines, developing digital thinking, and exploring AI applications. The second cycle focuses on designing AI systems, understanding bias and algorithms, and ethical technology use.
The last cycle will teach pupils command engineering with real-world simulations for higher education and employment readiness. Designated teachers will deliver AI classes within the computing, creative design and innovation subject, supported by comprehensive ministry guides with adaptable resources.
Meanwhile, Mohammed bin Rashid, who has called for increased collaboration on AI, asserts that including it in the curriculum will also equip students with “new skills and capabilities that “ensure the continued momentum of development and progress in our nation for decades to come.”
