Google Ireland Unveils New AI Education Programmes for Irish Students

Google Ireland has announced the launch of two new AI education programmes to improve AI literacy across Ireland via Kinia and ADAPT. These initiatives will equip students and teachers with the essential skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven future.

Experience AI has been co-developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google DeepMind to provide teachers with free classroom resources and professional development, enabling them to teach students about AI technologies and how they are changing the world.

In Ireland, the Raspberry Pi Foundation is working with Kinia, funded by a €360,000 grant from Google.org, to ensure that young people can actively participate in shaping their own futures. Kinia will provide bi-lingual (Irish and English) interactive and engaging AI content to 800 educators and meet the skills needs of over 14,000 young people in Ireland.

AI Literacy in the Classroom, led by ADAPT, is a training initiative designed to help secondary school teachers boost their AI literacy and empower students to use AI critically. The programme will comprise workshops and online resources, co-created with teachers to ensure it aligns with their needs.

Developed in alignment with current AI education policies and training provisions from the Department of Education, the programme aims to equip teachers with the essential AI knowledge and practical insights to navigate AI in the classroom and guide students to use AI-powered tools safely and ethically. With support from Google, the initiative is designed to ensure AI is taught responsibly.

Speaking at the launch, Vanessa Hartley, Head of Google Ireland, said:

“AI has the power to reshape our approach to society’s biggest issues, promising extraordinary breakthroughs that can improve billions of lives. That’s why we want to equip Ireland’s young people and educators with the skills needed to understand and navigate this transformative technology. Our support for Kinia and ADAPT underlines our commitment to making AI literacy accessible across Ireland, ensuring that students are prepared to shape an AI-enabled future that benefits all of society.”

Obum Ekeke OBE, Head of Education Partnerships at Google DeepMind, said:

“We are incredibly excited to see the launch of Experience AI in Ireland. AI is rapidly shaping our world, and we believe every young Irish student deserves the opportunity to understand and engage with this transformative technology. By making AI education more inclusive, we can help young people make more informed decisions about using AI applications in their daily lives, and encourage safe and responsible use of the technology.”

Marianne Checkley, CEO of Kinia, said:

“We are very proud and delighted to introduce Experience AI to schools and youth services in Ireland. As a programme co-created by educators and industry, Experience AI offers a unique chance for young people in Ireland to access immersive content that brings together real-world relevance and the future view of artificial intelligence. Underpinned by our mission at Kinia, this funding support also addresses a critical societal need to make sure that all young people will be in a position to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges of the future.”

Professor John Kelleher, Director of Adapt, said:

“We have seen first-hand how excited teachers are to bring AI into their classrooms but also how daunting it can be without the right support in place. That’s why we’re launching the ‘AI Literacy in the Classroom’ programme. It is all about helping teachers gain the AI knowledge and skills they need in a practical, hands-on way. We want to make sure they can use AI tools confidently and critically so both teachers and students can thrive in this AI-driven world. This initiative reflects ADAPT’s commitment to real-world education and ensuring we’re equipping the next generation to embrace the future as responsible digital citizens.”

Philip Colligan, Chief Executive of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Kinia to our Experience AI global network of partners. Working together with Kinia, we look forward to equipping teachers with the skills needed to teach AI confidently, ensuring it’s both engaging and relevant for their students. Through the partnership, we aim to ensure that over 14,000 young people in Ireland develop a foundational understanding of AI technologies and the role that they can play in their lives.”

For more information and to sign up for the Experience AI, teachers can visit experience-ai.org/. For more information and to sign up for the AI Literacy in the Classroom Programme, teachers can visit www.adaptcentre.ie/ai-literacy-in-the-classroom.