AI Education Gets Practical: Training, Tools, and Growing Pains

This week in AI education, major initiatives are rolling out practical training across Southeast Asia and expanding access to AI skills, while schools and universities grapple with how to teach AI responsibly and fairly. From law schools debating whether to include AI in their curriculum to educators trying new assessment methods, institutions are navigating both the opportunities and challenges AI presents in learning.

Grab and OpenAI bring practical AI skills to Southeast Asia

OpenAI and Grab have launched GO Forward with AI, a training programme designed to teach 30,000 business partners practical AI skills across Southeast Asia. This initiative brings AI literacy to a large population in an emerging market, potentially accelerating AI adoption among small and medium-sized businesses.

Why it matters: This initiative brings AI literacy and skills training to a large population in an emerging market, potentially accelerating AI adoption across small and medium businesses.

Sources: OpenAI

Learning Commons launches open platform for K-12 edtech

Learning Commons, backed by CZI, has launched an open platform that enables educators and developers to build and evaluate classroom AI tools using state standards, curricula, and datasets. This platform makes it easier for educators to create and assess AI solutions designed specifically for K-12 classrooms.

Why it matters: This platform makes it easier for educators to create and assess AI solutions designed specifically for K-12 classrooms.

Sources: EdSurge

Students didn't get answers from Khanmigo. They didn't want its questions, either

Khanmigo, designed to guide students through problems rather than provide direct answers, has faced adoption challenges as students prefer getting answers from AI chatbots. The tension between using AI as a learning tool versus an answer machine reveals the practical difficulties of implementing AI responsibly in education.

Why it matters: The tension between using AI as a learning tool versus an answer machine reveals challenges in implementing AI responsibly in education.

Sources: The Hechinger Report

Law schools can't decide whether to teach AI or pretend it doesn't exist

Law schools are divided on whether to teach AI skills, with students arguing that ignoring the technology fails to prepare them for modern legal practice. As AI becomes integral to legal work, law school curriculum decisions could significantly impact graduates' competitiveness in the job market.

Why it matters: As AI becomes integral to legal work, law school curriculum decisions could significantly impact graduates' competitiveness in the job market.

Sources: Above the Law

Two years of OpenAI Academy

OpenAI is marking two years of its Academy initiative and expanding it to reach additional communities with a focus on AI education and skills training. Expanding AI education programmes helps democratise knowledge of AI capabilities and responsible use across diverse communities beyond just technical professionals.

Why it matters: Expanding AI education programs helps democratize knowledge of AI capabilities and responsible use across diverse communities, not just technical professionals.

Sources: OpenAI

Expanding OpenAI Academy with new learning paths

OpenAI has announced expanded learning paths through its Academy programme, designed for employees, developers, leaders, educators, and students to build practical AI skills and certifications. Accessible AI training for diverse audiences helps spread AI literacy and ensures a broader workforce can adapt to AI tools.

Why it matters: Accessible AI training for diverse audiences helps spread AI literacy and ensures a broader workforce can adapt to AI tools.

Sources: OpenAI

Why AI made me a better principal

A school principal describes how AI tools have improved their decision-making and daily leadership by bringing clarity and presence to their work, rather than simply saving time. This perspective shows AI's potential value in education goes beyond efficiency to actually improving the quality of educational leadership and decision-making.

Why it matters: This perspective shows AI's potential value in education goes beyond efficiency to actually improving the quality of educational leadership and decision-making.

Sources: EdSurge

Navigating the future of work: preparing students for an AI workplace

Jobs for the Future president Maria Flynn discusses how education systems can prepare young people for the workplace by building AI literacy and providing early career exposure. Schools need practical frameworks to teach students about AI so they can compete in jobs where AI is increasingly common.

Why it matters: Schools need practical frameworks to teach students about AI so they can compete in jobs where AI is increasingly common.

Sources: EdSurge

The oral exam is back, and AI may be the reason

Universities are bringing back oral exams partly as a response to concerns about AI-generated written work, with some professors assigning reflective analysis based on personal experience. Educational institutions are adapting their assessment methods to ensure AI cannot be used to circumvent learning objectives.

Why it matters: Educational institutions are adapting their assessment methods to ensure AI cannot be used to circumvent learning objectives.

Sources: eSchool News

Silicon Valley AI academy seeks 'main character' students

Andreessen Horowitz is launching an unaccredited AI academy aimed at young people, with tuition comparable to Ivy League fees, though critics have questioned the venture. The academy represents a growing trend of private, venture-backed alternatives to traditional education, raising questions about accessibility and who controls AI education.

Why it matters: The academy represents a growing trend of private, venture-backed alternatives to traditional education, raising questions about accessibility and who controls AI education.

Sources: Inside Higher Ed

Webinar: why litigators should train with simulators

An upcoming webinar explores whether simulators can become a key training tool for litigators, drawing parallels to how other professionals like pilots use simulation-based training. Simulation training could improve lawyer competency and decision-making in high-stakes litigation scenarios.

Why it matters: Simulation training could improve lawyer competency and decision-making in high-stakes litigation scenarios.

Sources: Artificial Lawyer

AI for me, but not for thee

An article examines inconsistent institutional policies around AI use raised by Dartmouth's provost, critiquing selective or hypocritical approaches to AI adoption in higher education. Universities must develop clear, consistent AI policies that apply equally to all stakeholders rather than creating double standards.

Why it matters: Universities must develop clear, consistent AI policies that apply equally to all stakeholders rather than creating double standards.

Sources: Inside Higher Ed