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In our previous blog posts (Enter The Trustworthy AI Toolkit & AI In all types of Curricula)we have delved quite deeply into the “why” of integrating AI inside the classroom. In this post we would like to examine the “how” of it. Let us shift the focus away from the students and unto the educators. Educators will be the ones conveying the importance of Artificial Intelligence to students, it is only fair that they should have a foundational understanding themselves. We understand that teachers are busy as it is, and integrating AI into the classroom is no small feat. It can require some preparation – so why not make it enjoyable? Here are some fun reading suggestions curated by our working group which can acquaint educators to the in’s and outs of AI.
Mike Deutsch – Kids Code Jeunesse, K-12 digital-skills education charity, Canada
Mike’s Recommendation:
Reading: The Montréal Declaration for a Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: The Montreal Déclaration committee, Université de Montréal.
The Montréal Declaration for a Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence (Montreal Declaration for short) is a policy paper written in 2017 by a consortium of AI researchers and ethicists, in consultation with the public. The Declaration is a manifesto of sorts, intended to guide AI developers, policymakers, and citizens toward making AI work in harmony with people. It contains ten simple principles: ideas like Well-being, Autonomy, Responsibility, and Equity. Each principle is laid out on a single page with examples that illustrate how that principle might apply in practice. A clearly written glossary completes the document. Overall, this is a great resource for secondary and post-secondary students who are starting to grapple with AI and how its effects play out in society.
My organization likes to use the Montreal Declaration as a reference when we introduce AI to high school students. We often bring case studies into philosophy, social studies, and business classes, and the Montreal Declaration helps us start and sharpen conversations about AI and society.
Link to resource (PDF, via 3rd party site): https://exploreaiethics.com/guidelines/montreal-declaration-for-a-responsible-development-of-artificial-intelligence/
Montreal Declaration main site, with additional information and a form to sign the declaration: https://www.montrealdeclaration-responsibleai.com/
Kassandra Lenters – Canada Learning Code, technology education, Canada
Kass’s recommendation:
Reading: Gender Shades
“Gender Shades” is a research project which investigated algorithmic bias in AI. This research exposes that AI systems aren’t inherently without bias, but take on the priorities and prejudices of the people who create them. This is a great example of the concept that “technology doesn’t work unless it works for everyone.” My hope is that educators will gain insight that entire communities of people will be excluded – and even harmed – unless more diverse perspectives are brought into the creation and training of AI.
Link to resource: https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/gender-shades/overview/
Andy Forest – Founder – Steamlabs, AI Education & Ethics, Canada
Andy’s recommendation:
You Look Like a Thing and I Love You
Janelle Shane’s book, “You Look Like a Thing and I Love You” is an easy to understand but still thorough introduction to modern AI and machine learning, and best of all it’s hilarious! This book and her TED talk on “The danger of AI is weirder than you think” have been a huge inspiration to our work at steamlabs, and we highly recommend them for anyone learning or teaching about AI. Tune in to her blog, “AI Weirdness” for a regular dose of more of her awesome experiments in AI.
Resource link: https://www.janelleshane.com/book-you-look-like-a-thing
Mohammad Tahsin – Steamlabs, AI Education & Ethics, Canada
Moh’s recommendation:
Podcast by Tech2025: Fast Forward – post pandemic innovation podcast. Episode 18: Oriana Meldicott: Cynicism, Legislation and Inspiring the Next Generation in AI Ethics
This episode of the Fast Forward podcast by Tech2025 features guest Oriana Medlicott, She is a writer, researcher and consultant in AI Ethics. In this episode discussions about AI ethics, legislation and the way society should handle these rules take place. This podcast delves into what exactly AI ethics is, why it’s important, and how we can be inclusive, diverse, and considerate when having these discussions. Real world examples are discussed as well. My hope is that this podcast will give educators a high-level overview on why it is important to equip students, and the future generation with the knowledge of ethical AI.
Link to resource: https://www.tech2025.com/2021/06/10/oriana-meldicott-cynicism-legislation-and-inspiring-the-next-generation-in-ai-ethics/
Well here you have it! A shortlist of resources for educators to build their knowledge base, and better convey the importance of including Ethical AI, and AI education into curriculum. We hope one of these resources speak to you, and if not please check out our Trustworthy AI Educational Toolkit for more resources and AI activities!
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