Artificial intelligence is no longer a topic for the future – it is already shaping our everyday lives today. This makes it all the more important to introduce young people to the concepts and functions of modern AI. This is precisely where the KIsu – Artificial Intelligence in School Education project comes in, which is being developed by the Chair of Primary Mathematics Education at Saarland University.
Understanding AI, shaping the future – with KIsu right from primary school
Search engines are an important component for participation in (not only digital) life. However, the lack of transparency in the algorithms used to filter information, user profiling, and the design of the user interfaces of popular platforms such as Google or Bing lead to increasing immaturity in user behavior and low risk awareness with regard to privacy. Many of these effects are exacerbated by AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT).
KIsu aims to develop and test co-creative training programs with various groups from civil society (children, young people, older people, people with special needs), while researching the specific needs involved in using search engines and AI chatbots. In this way, the project promotes digital sovereignty in Internet search for people with special needs across multiple generations. For greater digital participation – inclusive and self-determined.
Centigrade with their expertise in UX and accessibility
Our goal is to support the research process by focusing on human-centered design in our advisory role in the project. We advise on the use and establishment of well-known methods of human-centered design, such as the development of personas, as well as the identification and prioritization of the most relevant user needs. We also advise the KIsu team on accessibility and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by reviewing the access needs of people with various disabilities and limitations with regard to internet search and AI chatbots.
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the “Artificial Intelligence in Education” funding guideline and is part of a Germany-wide education initiative on AI.
We are very pleased to be part of this forward-looking project and to contribute to promoting digital sovereignty for people of different generations and with different needs.
Further information on the KIsu project can be found on the project website of Saarland University.
