One Zoom meeting was all it took for Florida High Tech Corridor Council CEO Paul Sohl to know he had stumbled upon something special. Just over a year ago, Sohl booked a meeting with Ora Tanner after reading a story about her vision as co-founder and chief learning officer of The AI Education Project, a nonprofit centering on equity and accessibility in its mission to scale artificial intelligence (AI) literacy in untapped communities across the U.S.
Since that meeting, the two organizations have been partnering to bring much-needed educational resources to Florida students and help the state’s future leaders envision how they might creatively apply AI technology to drive innovation in their communities. Recently, The Corridor became The AI Education Project’s first investor in Florida, allowing the fast-growing nonprofit to expand its footprint, advance its curriculum and continue research in AI educational attainment.
“Paul engaged with AIEDU on behalf of The Corridor and was quick to offer his advice, input and indirect support, and in 2020 became one of our most important advisers in Florida, helping to broker introductions with key partners throughout the state,” said Tanner.
Applied by experts to tackle global challenges as far reaching and impactful as climate change and food insecurity, AI is the most influential technology of our time. Knowledge of this technology empowers students of today to be the superheroes of tomorrow. This is true at The Corridor’s three universities – the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida and the University of Florida – where students and faculty researchers and industry partners are using AI to accurately predict crop yields, protect warfighters from deadly illnesses and fortify the nation’s power grid, among countless examples.
Unfortunately, not all students have the same opportunity to learn about AI or its importance. Backed by a regional network of partners in academia, government and industry, The Corridor’s investment enables broader access to The AI Education Project’s “Introduction in AI” program for Florida students; especially, those who are underrepresented in the technology industry and living in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by AI and automation.
Unlike many AI programs that teach students how to code with the goal of preparing them for technology industry careers, “Introduction to AI” is a foundational course designed for any student to learn more about the function and prevalence of AI systems in their everyday lives.
“We have created a project-based, hands-on program that is fun and inspires confidence in students to continue learning about complex technology concepts,” added Tanner, a former middle school science teacher who was inspired to launch the nonprofit when she saw the divide growing between diverse student populations where access to culturally relevant AI curricula was lacking.
“We want all students to understand AI and feel empowered to pursue related career opportunities, including the jobs that might not yet exist today.”
The AI Education Project approaches its mission of preparing all students to thrive in the age of artificial intelligence through an interdisciplinary approach, combining STEM concepts with an emphasis on the humanities and project-based learning. Students discover how AI and automation will cause job loss in some areas and gains in others; how algorithms influence key areas of life including hiring decisions, health care and access to credit; and, how students can influence the design and use of future technologies. This approach is also reflected in the organization’s diverse team, which represents backgrounds in industry, education, curriculum design, marketing, policy, journalism and more.
Already, The AI Education Project has completed three successful pilot programs with student groups enrolled in Junior Achievement, Pace Center for Girls and Upward Bound across the region, including Orlando. Maintaining Florida as a priority area of focus, it aims to reach 100,000 students statewide by the end of 2022.
“The magic of this program is that it’s not geared toward STEM students; it’s AI for everyone,” Sohl explained. “Just imagine what it would look like to have 100,000 creators empowered with the AI tools they need to drive change in their communities. Couple this with the boundary-breaking collaborations we’re seeing between our universities and industry partners, and there’s no doubt Florida can become a national model for AI education and impact.”
For more information or to advance The AI Education Project’s work in Florida, visit https://aiedu.org/.