Though there are some overlaps between robotics and AI, there are also many differences. For one, all robots require a “body”, which can be linked up with an “AI brain” to control the body. However, AI can also be without a robotic body, e.g., ChatGPT. At AI INSTITUTE GLOBAL, we cover all kinds of AI, with or without robotic bodies. We too use robots to demonstrate some of the ideas of AI, but most of the syllabus is about AI’s perception (such as computer vision as used in, say, a monitoring or surveillance camera to prevent crimes), reasoning (such as chess playing or general game playing, in which AI recently beat humans at Chess and Go), natural language communication (such as using Generative AI such as ChatGPT as a ChatBot for engaging in conversation with humans, and helping humans to generate essays, ideas, and plans), artistic creation (such as using the Midjourney software to generate pictures based on prompts – inputs in words – given by humans), social issues (discussing impact of AI on society, and yes, we want to get kids ready for that!) Moreover, there are two major components to our AI course for kids. Other than the “Science”, we are also teaching the “Art” of AI – teaching kids how to generate nice pictures, good writings, and combining them into storytelling and other multi-media tasks using GENERATIVE AI tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney. These are not normally part of “Robots/AI for Kids Classes”. Through the teaching of Art, we inculcate creative analytic abilities and problem-solving abilities, with the aid of cutting edge AI. Through the teaching of AI Art, we teach children how to use current AI TOOLS. Through the teaching of AI Science, we prepare children for future AI. Our Founder and Consultants have decades of experience doing research and teaching AI at the University Level. They are able to bring the deep AI contents to teach kids many AI ideas and methods which will support their future careers. Our teachers are art-school trained and have experience teaching art to children and are able to impact knowledge about art as well as AI & ART to the children.

Our AI syllabus does not only touch upon AI at the superficial levels. It is basically a simplified version for kids but based on the full AI courses at the universities. For example, take a standard AI textbook used by the university students, Russell and Novig’s “A Modern Approach to AI”. We use that textbook as a reference (similar contents have been used by the Founder, Dr. Seng-Beng HO for teaching university students), and also the full AI-for-K12 (K12 means from Primary 1 to JC2) syllabus developed by AI experts in the US such as professors at the Carnegie Mellon University (top US and World university for AI and Robotics) as reference. For our ART portion of the course, we will teach kids the fundamental ideas behind artistic creation and artistic styles, so that they will not just use their Generative AI tools such as Midjourney blindly and randomly. Generative AI tools are very powerful, but you need to know what you want and how to get what you want. Without training and background, you do not know what you want to generate, and also you do know how to correct any errors generated by the generative AI tools. Only by having this knowledge, you can work with AI, using it as a great tool for your work.

Kids can use the most advanced AI tools for creative work, and later when they become familiar with these tools and more advanced versions that will be developed in subsequent years, it will be helpful in their work and careers. Kids can learn the advanced ideas behind the SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY of AI so that later they will score well for the AI and other AI-related courses such as computer science and engineering courses. They can use these ideas to create better projects for school, and they would have a head start for subsequent demands at their workplace. If you have the AI experience, knowledge, and skills provided by our ART and SCIENCE for AI (ASAI) course, you will certainly go very far in your career, and will be able to work effectively with AI.

(a) Because AI today derives from the AI of past many years. You want your child to learn the fundamentals so that they can be ready for future AI. (b) Your child may not just be using AI tomorrow, but building AI tomorrow, therefore you need to know the fundamentals. AI is constantly changing. New things keep coming up. Children and adults alike must learn the AI of today and AI of tomorrow.