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Artificial intelligence: an unprecedented agreement to raise awareness and train schoolchildren

] - Published on in Press Corner, Science-Society

This Monday, November 6, 2023, Sophie Béjean, Rector of the Occitanie academic region, Marc Sztulman, Regional Councillor and representative of the Occitanie / Pyrénées Méditerranée Region, Claudine Vassas-Mejri, Vice-President of the Hérault Departmental Council, Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier and Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier signed a collective commitment agreement to raise awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) among schoolchildren. This joint commitment, which brings together representatives of the State, the University and all local authorities, as well as voluntary associations and companies, is a marker of the very strong collective dynamic present in Montpellier to support AI topics.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has recently made a particularly strong and visible incursion into all fields, with the arrival of Generative Artificial Intelligence. Destined to transform a large number of practices and professions, it requires us to take an enlightened look at each of these transformations. Convinced that this enlightenment must be provided from the earliest age to combat any aberrations, and that it must be based on scientifically established knowledge and widely disseminated through appropriate teaching methods, the signatories mutually commit to deploying actions to explain, illustrate and debate.

From left to right: Marc Sztulman, Sophie Béjean, Philippe Augé, Michaël Delafosse, Claudine Vassas-Mejri

An agreement fully in line with UM's global AI strategy

This agreement is part of a response to the France 2030 "IA Cluster: world-class research and training clusters in artificial intelligence" call for expressions of interest, for which the UM "vIA-UM" application was shortlisted last July. At a time when there is a strong risk of misinformation and a decline in young people's motivation to take up scientific studies and careers, it is important for the University of Montpellier to make a commitment to the Occitanie academic region to help ensure that every teacher and student has all the knowledge they need to clarify their relationship with the new methods of artificial intelligence. This agreement will lead to concrete actions.

While it plans to carry out research projects of excellence in artificial intelligence, and to create the conditions for a "massification" of the uses of Artificial Intelligence in an ethical, sovereign and responsible way, it also aims to raise awareness and train all publics in the issues and impacts of Artificial Intelligence.

This agreement is in fact the third component of the vIA-UM project. The aim is to reinforce the actions already undertaken by the University of Montpellier to train and raise awareness among teachers and students in three areas:

  • Raise awareness and debate the challenges of artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on combating all forms of discrimination and misinformation, and on raising awareness of the environmental and societal impact of digital technology in general and AI in particular;
  • Train people in the use and application of AIs, illustrating them with concrete examples, and providing all kinds of testimonials and encounters with real-life achievements ;
  • Training in the scientific, technical, regulatory and ethical foundations of AI, with a particular focus on encouraging girls. 

The University of Montpellier, with its excellent research and training in artificial intelligence, both at the heart of mathematical and computational methods, but also for artificial intelligence with a high impact on society's "Nourish, Care, Protect" challenges, is today committed to continuing and strengthening its links with partners to spread the culture of artificial intelligence.

Partners' commitments and involvement

The city of Montpellier and the department are committed to continuing to provide the environments and equipment needed for these activities.

On the one hand, the Occitanie Region is committed to continuing its actions to make available the resources needed to disseminate its actions, such as digital work environments and computer equipment. On the other hand, through regular calls for projects or in connection with its dedicated venues, the Region is committed to continuing the development of awareness-raising and training initiatives in participatory sciences, as well as in the attractiveness of tomorrow's professions, particularly on the subject of AI.

These commitments can be used for school and extracurricular activities, as well as to support associations within the framework of recognized projects, such as the Territoire Numérique Educatif in Hérault (TNE34).

The academic region undertakes to promote training in artificial intelligence for those involved in education (IA-DASEN, inspectors, headteachers and teachers) and for students. It will also provide schools with all the information they need to promote awareness and training for teachers and students.