Amazon launches the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge in Northern Ireland, designed to upskill young people in AI and prepare them for future careers. This comes as research from Amazon has unveiled STEM gaps in local schools as well as AI and IT roles potentially contributing £71m a year to the UK.
The need to boost AI learning in Northern Ireland schools is supported by new YouGov research –commissioned by Amazon – among secondary school teachers and parents. The research comes as Amazon launches the inaugural Alexa Young Innovator Challenge in Northern Ireland, an educational programme for secondary school pupils to create an Alexa Skill to promote social good in their community.
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Designed to inspire young people about the potential of AI, teachers and educators will be able to access free curriculum-linked lesson plans and materials to engage students while supporting the development of AI learning in classrooms. By taking part, schools will have the chance to win prizes including £2,500 worth of tech products for the winner and a £2,500 donation to their school. The 20 runners-up will also receive an Amazon gift card to the value of £250, redeemable on Amazon.co.uk and £500 will be donated to their school.
Amazon’s research also estimates that demand for jobs that require computer science, AI or machine learning skills in the UK are expected to increase by 40% over the next five years. In addition, research that looked at the potential future use of AI by UK businesses estimates that expenditure on AI-related labour could increase from £46 billion in 2020 to between £80 billion and £103 billion by 2025.
Amazon UK's Technology Director, Lauren Kisser, said: "AI is the world’s fastest-growing technology and the UK is striving to be among the world’s leaders in this field, with 56% of businesses planning to increase investment in AI technologies within the next three years. Through the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge, we hope to not only build confidence in students’ ability to understand and control this incredible technology but also inspire young minds, regardless of their background, to realise their potential as creators, thinkers and builders of the future; using AI to create innovative solutions to real-world problems".
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Amazon announces the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge as it reveals ten innovative AI and computer science jobs that could be available to young people in the future. Compiled in partnership with futurologist Dr Ian Pearson, the careers range from metaverse architect to paramedic drone programmer, AI sports coach and environment protection agent.
The jobs highlight the ways that AI and computer science could be used to tackle societal issues, including sustainability – insight that is particularly relevant to the one in five (22%) secondary school children who felt AI could be used to speed up problem-solving around climate change.
Source: Written from press release
