How should schools teach AI? 3 models to consider

Students across Canada are exposed to artificial intelligence (AI), whether through search engines, writing assistants, automated recommendation systems or social media.

This everyday confrontation raises a first, fundamental question: What should students learn about AI? This goal is often referred to as AI competence, which combines conceptual understanding with responsible use and critical judgment about AI.

A second, more practical question is: Where should learning about AI be in the curriculum? Because education is a provincial responsibility, there is no one-size-fits-all approach in Canada.

Teaching AI skills in schools builds on what provinces already require students to learn about digital technologies. How provinces do this determines how much time is available to students, what can be assessed and how teachers must be prepared.

In practice, these different curriculum models, as well as the support that ensures teachers can teach them effectively, will determine whether AI education becomes a series of…