By Cho Sung Kap, Chair Professor (skc1777@anyang.ac.kr)
In the past 20th century, international hegemony competition created a Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, with the competition for nuclear development and securing rare earths and the development of nuclear weapons. In the extension of this, AI technology and talent cultivation are now causing a new economic war between the United States and China. The U.S. is attempting to maintain its global hegemony through the monopoly of AI technology, just as it led the post-war international order by monopolizing nuclear weapons technology in 1945. The U.S. was able to lead the post-war international order by successfully developing the first atomic bomb in 1945, and global big tech companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Meta are playing leading roles in AI research and commercialization. In particular, OpenAI's ChatGPT shows that the United States has an overwhelming global advantage in generative AI technology.
Reports indicate that in 2024, among the top 50 institutions for published papers, the U.S. ranks first with 14,766 authors, while China follows with 8,491. An analysis by Nikkei of approximately 30,000 papers published across three academic conferences from 2020 to 2024 found that the gap between the U.S. and China is narrowing. The question of “Who will be the first to prepare and seize the initiative in AI?” has emerged. Just as nuclear weapons introduced new security threats, the education surrounding AI technology is poised to drive innovation across all sectors, including the economy, industry, and politics. Undeniably, the world was taken aback by the significant threat posed by AI's Large Language Models (LLMs), which were largely unfamiliar at the time of Lee Sedol's match against AlphaGo in 2016.
However, unlike nuclear weapons, AI technology will be widely utilized across all civilian sectors. This requires education and acquisition of skills at a relatively young age, emphasizing the need for creative thinking and adaptability. Observing that nine out of the top ten companies globally are IT firms evokes a sense of urgency regarding IT education for children, who will navigate future societies. I have advocated for this cause since 2014, leading to the incorporation of IT education into the regular curriculum in elementary, middle, and high schools starting in 2016. Fortunately, the government has allocated budgetary resources to launch the initiative named "Digital Sprouts" since 2022, a significant development. Nevertheless, I believe that early education is essential to empower children with the ability to lead new changes and create innovative solutions in this rapidly evolving AI era, addressing the need for essential digital education.
To cultivate proactive abilities in children, the following educational areas are critical:
Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills
Design Thinking: Cultivating creative problem-solving abilities through defining problems, brainstorming ideas, creating prototypes, and testing.
Project-Based Learning: Engaging in projects that solve real-world problems, fostering collaboration, critical thinking, and alternative proposal generation.
Arts and Creative Activities: Enhancing imagination and creativity through various artistic activities, including visual arts, music, and theater.
Digital Literacy and AI Education
Computational Thinking: Developing computational thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, anticipating the evolution of the digital world.
Basic AI Education: Understanding the concepts, operational principles, and ethical issues of AI, along with learning how to utilize AI technology correctly.
Digital Ethics Education: Learning safe behaviors in online environments, the importance of personal data protection, cyber ethics, and developing into responsible digital citizens.
Social Skills and Collaboration Abilities
Discussion and Presentation: Cultivating the ability to articulate one's thoughts clearly and to listen to diverse opinions.
Team Projects: Achieving common goals through teamwork, along with training in leadership and followership.
Cultural Understanding Education: Fostering qualities of global citizenship through understanding and respecting diverse cultures.
Character and Emotional Education
Empathy Training: Cultivating the ability to understand and empathize with different emotions.
Self-Regulation Skills: Developing the ability to manage one's emotions and stress, as well as fostering patience.
Establishing Right Values: Forming a proper value system, respecting others, and growing into citizens who contribute positively to society.
Play and Learning: Enhancing educational effectiveness through enjoyable teaching methods, while supporting the growth of young talents with the cooperation of families, schools, and local communities.
Therefore, digital education in the AI era is essential for fostering creativity, problem-solving skills, digital literacy, and social abilities. By educating children in these key competencies early on, we can support their growth as innovation leaders in future society. This approach will help us build a safer and more sustainable digital world.
