To train the gen-next of India with the right technological advancement and readiness, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Intel to outline various initiatives to teach and encourage AI integration into the CBSE education system. The AI curriculum will draw from Intel’s AI for Youth, an initiative which promotes immersive, hands-on learning program to teach social and technological skills using experiential methodologies.

The initiative is being designed for students in 8th grade and above and includes a co-created AI curriculum, setting up of AI-focussed Skill Labs, and equipping facilitators with AI-readiness to facilitate holistic AI-centric education. Along with these initiatives, the two entities will also launch a National AI Olympiad to encourage students to tinker with the technology and create socially relevant solutions. 

Sharing her thoughts on the collaboration, Shweta Khurana, Director - Programs, Partnerships and Policy Group at Intel India said, “It is critical to empower India’s young population and equip them with the skillset and mindset required for AI-readiness; and democratise access to AI tools. Our collaboration with CBSE is a meaningful step towards enabling our youth to become digitally-empowered and effectively utilise emerging technologies such as AI to solve pressing local and global challenges.”

As AI’s relevance increases in the global economy, various countries, including India, recognise the need to adopt AI strategies for comprehensive, economic growth and social development. However, the limitation posed by the AI skills crisis is also a recognised barrier for wider adoption and growth in many countries. Intel’s AI for Youth aims to bridge this gap by empowering the coming generations with AI skills. The curriculum was successfully piloted in eight schools in 2019; in 2020, it aims to reach 10,000 students. 

Speaking on the initiative, Dr Biswajit Saha, Director - Skill Education & Training, CBSE said, “Our collaboration with Intel has helped us empower the youth with AI skills in an inclusive way and we hope to take this journey ahead in a big way in the coming years. Further, a new practice of ‘AI Integrated Pedagogy’ created by us will help the teachers to engage youth in an innovative way.”