A Year in K-12 AI Education

The time is ripe to consider what 21st-century digital citizens should know about artificial intelligence (AI). Efforts are under way in the USA, China, and many other countries to promote AI education in kindergarten through high school (K-12). The past year has seen the release of new curricula and online resources for the K-12 audience, and new professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers to learn the basics of AI. This column surveys the current state of K-12 AI education and introduces the work of the AI4K12 Initiative, which is developing national guidelines for AI education in the USA.