This blog post was written by Bethany Kogut, moderator of the K–12 EE eePRO Group.

It’s like I went to sleep for a moment and woke up to find AI has integrated into every part of my life. I think this has had its perks, but it also has left me feeling a little uncertain and hesitant. I have so many questions and feel so many unknowns are upon us in the era of AI. As an individual who believes science helps us make sense of the world, I’m eager to explore these questions, especially as they connect to my work in science and environmental education.

The Case for AI in Science Class

AI is a product of STEM, and it’s possible that some of the students we’ve taught over the past 10 to 20 years helped to build the algorithms, code, and infrastructure behind it. The science classroom has been a space where students can wrestle with challenging topics, examine various perspectives through data, stories, and experience, and design solutions to create more just futures. This sets up the conversation about the role of AI in our science classroom not just as relevant, but as a slam dunk.

Engaging Students in Meaningful, Future-Focused Inquiry

Allowing students to grapple with topics of consequential concern means that they are going beyond sensational phenomena and moving towards asking questions, analyzing data, and developing models about current decisions that have meaning towards youth, and especially their futures.

Bringing AI as a topic of consequential concern into the classroom allows students to grapple with its role in more just sustainable futures. For example, students may have the chance to explore how much energy is needed to run computer servers as we continue to rely more heavily on this type of technology. They may also dig into the amount of energy AI can save at these same computer server buildings by automatically adjusting climate controls depending on different zones within the building. In What If We Get It Right?, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson interviews Mustafa Suleyman about this matter of concern. He shares his experience using AI to help control heating and cooling at Google’s server centers, which resulted in an average energy saving of 30%.

Students in the science classroom are preparing to be at the cusp of creating futures that will support or harm our environments. The decisions that will have to be made will have trade offs, and students can begin to tackle those choices in our science classrooms.

Exploring AI in STEM: What Are You Trying?

AI is ever evolving and rapidly at that. I’d love to hear from you! How have you been using AI in your programs, both as a tool for planning and creating, and as a topic for students to critically analyze the present and future of STEM?