THE invention of the wheel prompted many to imagine its real-world implications.
The wheel undoubtedly revolutionized travel, drastically reducing journey times from years to days and days to mere hours.
A wheel is indispensable to today’s industries, societies and globalized world.
The topic of AI’s daily integration will likely be discussed in much the same way a century from now.
AI is becoming indispensable to many new technologies.
Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of our lives, from mobile phones to other daily tech gadgets.
In this situation, not teaching our younger generation about this technology will leave them unable to survive in the future.
AI is poised to govern all facets of human existence within a few years.
Until now, the adoption of AI in education has been largely limited to higher education.
The US and China are especially engaged in a competition to produce more PhD scholars and generate research papers on AI.
Today, the AI dominance struggle has extended its reach to playground children.
Elementary schoolers are China’s new secret weapon in the worldwide AI battle.
Beijing is cultivating its next generation of tech leaders from a young age.
China’s plan involves a three-tiered rollout of AI in schools.
Elementary education now includes an introduction to the basics of AI.
China’s middle school curriculum will include practical AI applications.
High school students in China will be taught innovation through AI and real-world applications of artificial intelligence.
China is preparing its people to dominate the world in AI.
Soon, other developing nations will emulate China’s AI advancements and future generations in developed countries will be well-versed in AI applications; thus, these nations will dominate the world in 25 years.
Currently, the USA, China, UK, Singapore, UAE, France, South Korea, Germany and Japan, are leading in AI development.
These states intend to fund AI development and cultivate a workforce of expert AI professionals.
This will revolutionize how the world currently functions.
States that don’t promptly integrate AI into their education systems, starting from the beginning, will face serious consequences.
Degrees awarded now, and planned for the future, will quickly lose their value.
Doctors, engineers and legal professionals in developed nations are already using AI in their work.
In today’s market, a degree lacking AI coursework holds minimal value, a concerning trend for nations with traditional education systems.
To integrate AI into education effectively, Pakistan’s schools and universities must overhaul their curricula, making AI a core subject at all levels.
Many obstacles stand in the way of achieving this milestone.
The country’s leaders lack vision and that’s the first problem.
Leaders must understand the significance of this transformation.
Only with a united and decisive political front can the education curriculum be revised without delay.
A terrible future awaits nations that fail to adopt this technology.
This deserves some serious thought.
A second issue is the unequal access to education.
The class-based nature of the education system obstructs necessary reforms.
Social groups resistant to equal opportunity for all children, regardless of background, are the source of the resistance.
Private and government schools need the same AI curriculum.
Third, teachers’ failure to adapt to modern, AI-rich curricula poses a challenge.
We must either train current teachers on the new AI-based curriculum or hire new teachers with AI teaching expertise.
Basic artificial intelligence should be taught in grades 1-10, using a similar teaching method to Physics, Maths and Biology, as per the new curriculum.
Then all college students, regardless of major, must take a mandatory AI course to graduate.
AI experiments should be a standard part of college science education, similar to those already conducted in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
Likewise, all universities need to revamp their courses to include AI as a compulsory subject.
Future doctors must master basic AI uses in healthcare.
In the same vein, studying AI related to their engineering discipline is a must for engineers.
All educational fields must include AI specializations relevant to their studies.
Given the circumstances, Pakistan could leverage China’s AI expertise, as China is a global leader in the field.
News recently broke on social media about Punjab’s planned launch of an AI university.
This is a commendable initiative that other provinces should emulate.
However, integrating AI into education from a young age is crucial because the world’s educational landscape is rapidly changing, and driven by AI.
Artificial intelligence will power the economies of tomorrow.
The world is on the cusp of an AI-driven industrial revolution.
States’ future defence will hinge on their armies’ access to cutting-edge AI technology.
Knowledge of AI is essential for socio-politico-experts.
Neglecting AI in Pakistani education leaves future generations unprepared for global competition.
This will lead to a nightmarish future for them.
Conversely, this allows our leaders to seize an opportunity to reshape Pakistan’s destiny by integrating AI into education at all levels.
Lacking AI training in the modern world is akin to being a Stone Age person thrust into the present.
The technology shifts gears, propelling the vehicle of technology into a faster lane where the world accelerates.
Nations slow to adopt new technologies will be outpaced and potentially exploited by technologically superior nations.
In the competitive global landscape, only nations that adopt AI in education at all levels will survive.
A better, safer future for Pakistani youth requires embracing modern education, with AI at the forefront of all subjects.
This must be done now, or it will never be done.
—The writer is an educationist and a Commoner from 44th Common, based in Sargodha. (waqarhassancsp@gmail.com)
