Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are powering many technology solutions in the recent years. These cutting-edge technologies have started to revolutionize various industry verticals including finance, healthcare, education, and transportation, among others. Though some of the schools had started offering AI and ML as a part of their curriculum most of the other schools need to catch up on this aspect. It is crucial to introduce AI and ML education to school students so as to equip them appropriately for the job market.
In India, the demand for AI and ML professionals had started some time ago and the trend still continues with several industries seeking experts in these technologies. However, the industry had time and again raised questions on the employability of students completing education in these technologies. Introducing AI and ML education in schools may help bridge this gap and prepare students better for the future.
Learning AI and ML in schools will help students to get exposed to the technology that they would abundantly find in their professional and personal lives, in the near future. It will enable students to develop critical thinking and analytical skills, which are essential in the 21st-century job market. Students will learn to analyze data, develop algorithms, and help machines learn like humans, which will prepare them better as the future workforce.
Furthermore, introducing AI and ML education in schools may create opportunities for students to innovate and create new solutions for existing problems. It will help them understand the real-world applications of these technologies, which can be used to solve real-world problems, such as climate change, inadequate healthcare, and poverty, among others.
Exposure to AI and ML education at schools will encourage more girls to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Currently, there is a significant gender gap in the technology industry, and introducing AI and ML education in schools can help bridge this gap.
However, to introduce AI and ML education in schools, the curriculum needs to be updated, and teachers need to be trained in these fields. More investment in resources and infrastructure by the government and the private sector will help bring in these changes. Today’s students are tomorrow’s nation builders and it’s our duty to provide them with appropriate tools to build the nation.
