The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is introducing an artificial intelligence curriculum in its public schools starting from early education, aiming to establish itself as a center for AI in the region. The initiative is designed to prevent the oversight of the past when the country failed to respond effectively to the rise of social media, as stated by the education minister.
While several nations have begun to incorporate AI lessons into their educational systems, the UAE is making significant investments to enhance its status as an AI hub. This curriculum aims to equip students with the skills necessary for future job markets.
According to Sarah al-Amiri, the education minister, the decision to implement an AI curriculum stemmed from observing the effects of social media on students and the challenges it posed. She emphasized the need to learn from past experiences, particularly concerning the distractions caused by platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Despite the UAE’s high living standards, a study conducted in 2022 highlighted that students in the UAE lag behind the OECD average in subjects like math, reading, and science, as well as in critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are essential for adapting to future workforce demands.
Approximately 300,000 children are enrolled in state schools, which are tuition-free for Emirati citizens and other Gulf Cooperation Council nationals. Private schools, which charge fees, are also increasingly popular across the region.
In an effort to diversify its economy, which has long relied on oil, Abu Dhabi is heavily investing in AI. This includes partnerships such as that between national AI leader G42 and Microsoft, along with the MGX investment vehicle supporting a $30 billion AI infrastructure fund. Furthermore, the government intends to incorporate AI into legislative processes.
Amiri, who previously led the UAE’s space agency and served as minister for public education and future technology, was appointed to her current role this year as part of a comprehensive reform of the educational framework.
When asked about the potential challenges posed by students’ current academic performance in implementing an AI curriculum, Amiri affirmed that her team has been dedicated to enhancing educational outcomes through transformative initiatives. She argued that these obstacles should not delay the introduction of a curriculum focused on emerging technologies.
Amiri asserted that a progressive curriculum should be aimed at elevating student performance, mentioning that the ministry is also revising how mathematics is taught.
Initially, the AI programming was targeted at high school students, but due to the rapid advancement of technology, the education ministry decided to extend this curriculum to include nursery students as well.
“We acknowledged that young children, starting from the age of four, frequently encounter these technologies in their daily lives,” she noted, referencing tools like Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa.
The new AI curriculum will emphasize teaching children critical thinking skills regarding AI-generated content, such as that produced by chatbots like ChatGPT. Amiri explained, “Students need to recognize that there can be biases and should not accept results uncritically.”
Furthermore, ethical considerations surrounding AI usage will also be integrated into the curriculum, which is limited to 20 hours each academic year. Students will learn how to create prompts for chatbots to obtain various outputs, ranging from text to images, while understanding how to conduct research with AI tools without resorting to plagiarism.
Countries around the globe, including China and Finland, are making strides to weave AI into their educational systems. For instance, Singapore employs AI to personalize learning experiences and provides feedback through an online platform.