Today’s generation of kids is increasingly exposed to advanced concepts such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) at a very young age. Surrounded by multiple applications from virtual assistants and translation services, spam filters, and chatbots to recommendation engines on e-commerce websites, these technologies play a big role in their day-to-day lives.

This makes it essential for kids to understand the fundamentals of Al and ML and become technology-ready for the future.

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In this blog, we’re going to explore some of the useful resources for teaching AI and ML concepts to kids in an easy, interactive, and fun way.

Ways To Explain Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning To Kids

When it comes to introducing AI and ML to kids, the first step is to demystify these concepts more simply, and then find the appropriate tools to explain them to kids.

The best way to explain is by using concrete examples that kids can easily understand.

This can be achieved in two easy steps –

  • Define AI and ML
  • Give examples and offer them fun resources which they can explore

What Are AI & ML?

In simplest terms, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is the science of computers learning to act without being explicitly programmed. Aptly known as the skills of the century, AI and ML empower humans to create intelligent machines and systems, which perform different tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence.

For instance, a vegetable sorting machine learning from humans how the vegetables are sorted and then performing the task, the role of AI in chess-playing computers, or a self-driving vehicle learning the driving skills similar to humans and then driving like them.

5 Ways to Introduce AI & ML for Kids

Below are some of the best resources and examples to help kids learn these concepts easily –

1. AI & ML Experiments With Google

Google is one of the best tools that can help to learn AI and ML concepts in an understandable and engaging way. Experiments with Google is an open-source platform with a good collection of experiments on virtual reality, artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital well-being, and Chrome experiments.

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Kids can make use of simple tools to do simple and basic AI experiments through multiple media such as pictures and drawings.

For instance, Teachable Machine is a great tool to make machine learning for kids easy and fun by helping them create codeless machine learning models. It allows kids to train their systems to recognize images and sounds and export the model to different sites and apps.

Some of the other prominent ones are listed here:

  • AR Experiments: Includes a range of augmented reality-based projects that kids can explore
  • Digital Well-being Experiments: Includes various ideas and tools to strike a better balance with technology
  • Voice Experiments: Allow kids to create new voice experiences

2. Teens In AI

An excellent initiative launched for the Good Global Summit at the UN, teens in AI is an effort to make today’s teens AI-ready. The program conducts regular meetups and hackathons for teaching AI and ML to kids aged 12-18, by giving them targeted and early exposure to AI.

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The initiative also has a section especially for girls to inspire and encourage them to take up technology-based projects and expose them to AI concepts through multiple events that they conduct across the globe.

3. Machine Learning for Kids

A dedicated online platform to provide a hands-on machine learning experience to kids, it guides them through a stepwise procedure to create various machine learning models that can recognize things such as numbers, text, images, sounds, and more. It is a free, web-based tool to introduce kids to various machine learning systems and applications of AI in the real world.

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The approach involved here is as follows-

  • Start with teaching kids how to train a model by collecting examples
  • Show it to the computer to train and recognize the particular thing they want it to recognize
  • Use the model to create an app of their own

The platform focuses on a learning-by-doing approach that makes it a valuable AI teaching resource.

4. Scratch

Scratch is another great resource for teaching kids various concepts related to coding, AI and ML. It is a block-based visual programming language and website that is targeted mainly at younger children to develop different projects including interactive games, stories, animation, and more using a block-like interface.

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With more than 40 million projects submitted by users from 150 countries, the tool is available in different languages and features some of the popular AI projects on its websites such as AI Chatbot and AI Tic-Tac-Toe.

5. Cognimates

Cognimates is another open-source AI learning platform (from the MIT Media Lab) specially designed for young children starting from age 7. The platform allows kids to learn about how to build robots, games and train their own AI modes.

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Cognimates is based on the Scratch programming language and offers a library of tools and activities for learning AI and ML.

In Conclusion

Combining great human intelligence with rapid machine capabilities, technologies such as AI and ML are the next big areas to learn and work in.

Developing a robust understanding of these technologies at an early age allows kids to process them and explore the areas where they can use these to bring a positive impact on their lives.

For teachers and parents, it is a great move to start teaching their kids about AI and machine learning to get them future-ready. Whether your kid wants to pursue a career in the field of computer science or not, the knowledge of AI and machine learning will prepare them adequately for a tech-driven future and also offer them a massive amount of opportunities in multiple industries leveraging AI and ML. A platform such as Learningbix can be an excellent way for you to get started.