Sri Yash Tadimalla

Sri Yash Tadimalla, Mary Lou Maher

This paper presents a curriculum, "AI Literacy for All," to promote an interdisciplinary understanding of AI, its socio-technical implications, and its practical applications for all levels of education. With the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), there is a need for AI literacy that goes beyond the traditional AI education curriculum. AI literacy has been conceptualized in various ways, including public literacy, competency building for designers, conceptual understanding of AI concepts, and domain-specific upskilling. Most of these conceptualizations were established before the public release of Generative AI (Gen-AI) tools like ChatGPT. AI education has focused on the principles and applications of AI through a technical lens that emphasizes the mastery of AI principles, the mathematical foundations underlying these technologies, and the programming and mathematical skills necessary to implement AI solutions. In AI Literacy for All, we emphasize a balanced curriculum that includes technical and non-technical learning outcomes to enable a conceptual understanding and critical evaluation of AI technologies in an interdisciplinary socio-technical context. The paper presents four pillars of AI literacy: understanding the scope and technical dimensions of AI, learning how to interact with Gen-AI in an informed and responsible way, the socio-technical issues of ethical and responsible AI, and the social and future implications of AI. While it is important to include all learning outcomes for AI education in a Computer Science major, the learning outcomes can be adjusted for other learning contexts, including, non-CS majors, high school summer camps, the adult workforce, and the public. This paper advocates for a shift in AI literacy education to offer a more interdisciplinary socio-technical approach as a pathway to broaden participation in AI.

Sri Yash Tadimalla, Mary Lou Maher

AI-empowered technologies' impact on the world is undeniable, reshaping industries, revolutionizing how humans interact with technology, transforming educational paradigms, and redefining social codes. However, this rapid growth is accompanied by two notable challenges: a lack of diversity within the AI field and a widening AI divide. In this context, This paper examines the intersection of AI and identity as a pathway to understand biases, inequalities, and ethical considerations in AI development and deployment. We present a multifaceted definition of AI identity, which encompasses its creators, applications, and their broader impacts. Understanding AI's identity involves understanding the associations between the individuals involved in AI's development, the technologies produced, and the social, ethical, and psychological implications. After exploring the AI identity ecosystem and its societal dynamics, We propose a framework that highlights the need for diversity in AI across three dimensions: Creators, Creations, and Consequences through the lens of identity. This paper proposes the need for a comprehensive approach to fostering a more inclusive and responsible AI ecosystem through the lens of identity.