Agreement to train schoolchildren in AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become part of our daily lives. To support this development, the University of Montpellier, the Occitanie academic region, the Occitanie Pyrénées-Méditerranée region, the Hérault department and the city of Montpellier signed a collective commitment agreement on Monday November 6, aimed at raising awareness of artificial intelligence and providing training in the field. The agreement is part of the France 2030 " IA Cluster " call for expressions of interest, for which the UM applied with its "vIA-UM" project, shortlisted last July. While this project aims to conduct research projects of excellence in artificial intelligence, and to create the conditions for a "massification" of its uses in an ethical, sovereign and responsible manner, it also aims to raise awareness and train all publics in the issues and impacts of artificial intelligence, starting with teachers and students.

Three axes have been defined:

• raise awareness and debate the challenges of artificial intelligence to combat all forms of discrimination and misinformation, and raise awareness of the environmental and societal impact of digital technology and AI in particular;
• provide training in the use and application of AI, using real-life examples
• provide training in the scientific, technical, regulatory and ethical foundations of AI, taking care to deconstruct gendered approaches to encourage more girls to go into these fields.

For artificial intelligence to have a major impact on society's "feed, care and protect" challenges, the University is now committed to continuing and strengthening its links with partners to spread the culture of artificial intelligence.