Why AI Literacy Must Be Taught in Schools
“Vivian, it’s time to get off YouTube and get to your homework!” I yell down the stairs quickly, going on mute and off-cam from my competing client call.
When I hang up, she is standing at the door, eyes filled with worry.
“Mom, I just watched the saddest video,” she laments
“You should be working on your homework anyway,” I retort, devoid of my usual empathy. I have another call starting in 2 minutes, have not refreshed my cup of tea in hours and realized just now that it's 4 pm and I never ate lunch. I take a breath and try again.
“What happened baby girl?”
“There was this dog and it was trying to save its human who got hurt climbing a mountain and the dog died trying to save the person.”
Her words tumbled out alongside tears.
Fresh from a data review, my analytic brain was full on and I recognized the false logic in the story almost immediately.
“Babe, you know that has to be fake right? I mean who would film someone dying, let them die, then film their dog trying to save them, and then film the dog dying too?”
I wish this were a made up story but it’s startlingly true and underscores the need to treat the rapid evolution and development of artificial intelligence (AI) as more than just a “trend” in the tech space, especially as it shapes the world around our children.
With back-to-school season upon us, I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the ways that incorporating AI into the educational system can benefit students, teachers, and parents. Using AI confidently and responsibly may become more important than other subjects we consider part of the common core and carry with it much higher stakes.
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of interviewing my daughter Rachel, a high school English teacher in the School District of Philadelphia, to get her perspective on what AI could mean for the future of education. As usual, our children become our best teachers, and my conversation with Rachael opened my eyes to the painful realities our teachers have to grapple with when choosing how and where to place their focus: Should they allow phones in the classroom and risk distraction or should they leverage the technology that has become an extension of us all? Should they try to use AI to tailor teaching methods or is their time better spent advocating for the basic needs many of their students still need to learn and thrive like school supplies, and access to nutritious foods? What became clear is teachers like Rachael do not have time to innovate the education system and their administrations are struggling to find their footing there as well. And yet, this is an imperative we can’t ignore. After all:
What if we could empower an entire generation to reshape the world through technology and innovation?
The Truth Campaign: A Blueprint for Change
Imagine a world where smoking among teenagers is not just uncool, but virtually non-existent. This isn't a far-fetched dream—it's a reality we've already begun to create. A few years ago, the Truth Initiative launched the National Truth Campaign, a bold, in-your-face assault on tobacco use among children. The results? Staggering.
450,000 adolescents prevented from trying smoking
A cultural shift where abstaining from tobacco became the "cool" choice
Personal impact: As a teenager, I found myself proudly resisting cigarettes, influenced by this revolutionary campaign
The Truth Campaign didn't just change behaviors; it rewired an entire generation's thinking. It showed us the immense power of targeting young, unburdened minds—minds not yet constrained by adult world limitations.
From Tobacco to Technology: The AI Opportunity
Now, we stand at the precipice of another transformative moment. Artificial Intelligence isn't just a new technology; it's a new literacy—a fundamental skill set that will shape the future of work, health, and society itself.
Imagine if we could harness the same energy and strategy that made the Truth Campaign so successful, but this time for AI and digital literacy: