Why Should Kids Learn Artificial Intelligence

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Less than a decade after breaking the Nazi encryption machine Enigma and helping the Allied Forces win World War II, mathematician Alan Turing changed history a second time with a simple question: “Can machines think?” 

Turing’s paper “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” (1950), and its subsequent Turing Test, established the fundamental goal and vision of artificial intelligence.   

At its core, AI is the branch of computer science that aims to answer Turing’s question in the affirmative. It is the endeavor to replicate or simulate human intelligence in machines.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence is a branch of computer science that aims to create an intelligent system. The ability of a machine to think and learn without any explicit programming is known as artificial intelligence. Machines learn with experience and can perform human-like tasks; it is an intelligent entity created by humans. 

To understand this in simple terms, let us take a look at an example. How does a self-driving car work? The machine is trained to understand how a human drives a car. Machines use past data to learn and then perform the same task without being explicitly programmed to do so. There are several advantages of using AI, one of them being it reduces human error. As a result, they are much more reliable and efficient in the way they work.

Since AI is an integral part of our everyday life, kids need to learn AI. It created a great opportunity for them to understand how everyday products work. Ai is not only the future; it is also the present.

Advantages of Learning Artificial Intelligence for Kids

Following are the advantages of learning Artificial Intelligence for Kids:

1. Promotes Data Fluency

We are surrounded by data. Data is the key component that accelerates AI to perform its analysis. It further unravels solutions, predictions, and much more.  The amount of data being generated on a daily basis has increased immensely over the past few years and is only said to keep growing. 

If kids are exposed to big data from an early age, they will understand how to collect, examine, and analyze data. Thus, making them more familiar with the process. AI and Machine Learning require a lot of data to perform well. And thus, learning about these technologies from a young age promotes data fluency and helps in better analysis and understanding of data. 

Like being fluent in a language, data fluency enables people to express ideas about data in a shared language. In a business context, data fluency connects employees across roles through a set of standards, processes, tools, and terms. Data fluent employees can turn piles of raw data into actionable information because they understand how to interpret it, know the data that is and isn’t available, as well as how to use it appropriately. Data fluency rejects the idea that only a select few are gatekeepers of information, instead of spreading knowledge, widening data access across an organization, and as a result, improving decision-making for everyone.

2. Enhances Cognitive Skills

Cognitive skills are the core skills your brain uses to think, read, learn, remember, reason, and pay attention. Working together, they take incoming information and move it into the bank of knowledge you use every day at school, at work, and in life.

Artificial Intelligence for Kids

The process of AI involves the constant fine-tuning of a model. If you’re stuck at some point, you try new things over and over again until it works.

Working memory is a cognitive skill that allows you to remember information as you are in the process of using it. The process of refining a model in AI constantly practices this skill!

3. Enhances Communication Skills

With the advent of artificial intelligence and machine learning, we’re about to begin a new era for interactions. Such rising technologies are creating exciting opportunities, leading to an ecosystem where virtual robots, voice assistants, and robotic process automation (RPA) will serve in collaboration with humans to streamline both communications and operations. This will have an enormous impact on both the work we do and the way we communicate with colleagues.

4. Boosts Imagination

Kids have a greater learning ability. They are more imaginative. Learning AI and machine learning will help widen their learning horizons and push them in the right direction. AI is a growing field. There is a lot left to be explored, and interacting with these technologies can inspire kids to innovate.

5. Improves Problem Solving Skills

Artificial intelligence provides solutions to various problems by interpreting data and finding answers. Thus, learning about AI can help your child develop problem-solving abilities. 

Instead of running away from an issue at hand, your child will learn to understand the core of the situation, apply logic, and find a suitable solution. Thus, it also helps them develop critical thinking skills.

Learning about AI can broaden your child’s thinking capacity and gives a boost to their creativity. They will not be bound by present limitations to explore scenarios and find innovative solutions. AI will guide them to grow as individuals.

6. Boosts Confidence and Creativity

Art, in its many forms, is essentially an expression of the human experience. A great piece of fine art can move us to laughter or tears. 

Interactive AI not only makes things easier and entertaining, but it also engages children to become active participants in it. AI helps become children more creative as it provides them the tools to develop things using their creativity. It gives wings to the unlimited creative potential in young children.

7. Develops Critical Thinking and Logical Reasoning

Learning AI introduces kids to coding. Coding is the universal language of the computing world. By learning to code, children can develop various apps and digital solutions. Today, many young kids are using their coding skills and developing apps, stepping on the pathway to a tech-entrepreneurial journey.

8. Helps to Excel in Academics and Extracurricular Activities

Children often wonder about the real-life applicability of the things they are taught in school. Practicing AI gives them the opportunity to apply those learnings in the real world. AI builds a good understanding of arithmetic, geometry, algebra, physics, calculus, and trigonometry, etc. It strengthens kids’ STEM skills and also makes learning fun in the process.

9. Exposure to Coding

Learning AI introduces kids to coding. Coding is the universal language of the computing world. By learning to code, children can develop various apps and digital solutions. Today, many young kids are using their coding skills and developing apps, stepping on the pathway to a tech-entrepreneurial journey.

10. Better Career Prospects

Even today, Artificial intelligence is creating new jobs in every field. According to the World Economic Forum, AI will create up to 58 million jobs in the next few years. Thus, artificial intelligence for kids will help them with their career success in the future. If kids are fascinated by the applications of AI and understand the know-how, they are more likely to want to work in the field once they are ready to do so.

So far, we have seen why artificial intelligence is for kids and the advantages of AI. But how do we get started? You can get a head start in AI by joining CodingHero’s Artificial Intelligence Foundation Coding Course For Kids that is specially designed to cater to their needs. There is no prior coding knowledge required to enroll in this program. The AI for high schoolers program offers project-based learning.

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