An agreement to train students in AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now 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 and educating schoolchildren about artificial intelligence. This initiative is part of the France 2030 “AI Cluster”call for expressions of interest, for which UM submitted its “vIA-UM” project, which was shortlisted last July. While this initiative plans to conduct cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence and create the conditions for the widespread adoption of its applications in an ethical, sovereign, and responsible manner, it also aims to raise awareness and educate all audiences—starting with teachers and students—about the challenges and impacts of artificial intelligence.
Three priorities have been identified:
- raise awareness and foster discussion about the challenges posed by artificial intelligence in order 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 on the applications and use of AI, using concrete examples
- provide training in the scientific, technical, regulatory, and ethical foundations of AI, while taking care to challenge gendered stereotypes in order to encourage more girls to pursue these fields.
To ensure that artificial intelligence has a significant impact on the societal challenges of “feeding, caring for, and protecting,” the University is committed to continuing and strengthening its partnerships in order to promote a culture of artificial intelligence.
