We recently released a report about The Future of Learning and Work. It recommended that communities hold conversations about the implications of artificial intelligence and that school districts and networks should be getting lean and agile, as well as updating their graduate profiles (listen to a podcast with Ken Kay for details).

The report also said it’s time to open-source AI tools and connect young people with expert guidance. Posner’s interest in education and social justice started as a teen while attending a startup charter school in Massachusetts. Tess traveled to El Salvador after an earthquake to build houses. She said, “The exposure to severe poverty blew my world right open.” She realized that opportunity is not equally distributed, but talent is.

While running TechHire, an Obama administration initiative, Posner gained exposure to artificial intelligence. She saw expanding opportunity but a widening opportunity gap. Tess also observed increasing evidence of algorithmic bias creeping into systems and that (in a related problem) women and minorities were left out of STEM careers, especially computer science.

A new nonprofit, AI4ALL, was formed last year to extend access to summer programs like the one launched by Li, Russakovsky, and Sommer–beginning with Stanford, Carnegie Mellon University, Berkeley, Princeton, Boston University, and Simon Fraser.

Summer programs for high school students last two or three weeks (applications are open now). And there are ongoing education opportunities for students year-round that pair researchers and students together to work on diverse problems.

Read the full article about increasing access to AI tools at Getting Smart.