PJSC Sberbank : Russian schoolchildren to create smart assistants for teachers during Digital Lesson on AI issues

Schools throughout Russia are holding Digital Lessons called "Artificial Intelligence in Education" between September 27 and October 10. Organized by the autonomous nonprofit organization Data Economy, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, Digital Lesson had the curriculum designed by Sberbank Charitable Foundation Investment to the Future, a strategic partner, with Sber support.

During this Digital Lesson children will learn about artificial intelligence, the principles behind it, and how AI technology can help people in their professions.

A game simulator will be the practical part of the lesson. Using the simulator, children will create a smart assistant - an algorithm that can recognize handwritten text in notebooks, identify mistakes, analyze them, and even give recommendations for teachers - for their mathematics teacher. The content and accompanying recommendations for the Digital Lesson on artificial intelligence and machine learning are designed to make classes accessible and interesting to students of all ages.

Pyotr Polozhevets, executive director of Sberbank Charitable Foundation Investment to the Future:

"Our foundation launches Digital Lesson in the new academic year. The topic we have chosen this year, Artificial Intelligence in Education, is really close to schools. By participating in the project, both teachers and schoolchildren will try to integrate AI into the lessons themselves. It is vital for us to show schoolchildren the possibilities and options for applying digital and AI knowledge because DS and ML skills are becoming more universal and important for success in any field."

Yevgeny Kovnir, CEO, Data Economy:

"Digital Lesson on artificial intelligence and machine learning is being held for the third time in partnership with Sberbank Charitable Foundation Investment to the Future and Sber. Ninety-six open lessons were held as part of the project in 2019. Nearly 10,000 teachers used the materials and taught classes for 3.7 million children. Last year, 111 open lessons were held, and 24,000 educators taught AI tech to more than two million schoolchildren."

Tatiana Trubnikova, director, department of coordination of programmes and projects, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation:

"Since its launch, Digital Lesson has proven to be effective in digital education of the new generation and rightfully won the love of millions of schoolchildren and dozens of thousands of teachers. All simulators are available for teachers and schoolchildren all year round and can be easily integrated into the curriculum as teachers see fit. We encounter AI use in ordinary life every day and do not even think about it. It is our common goal to tell how it works in a plain language, therefore Digital Lesson is designed for children of any age. A distinctive feature of the project is that students learn the basics of AI knowledge from Russia's top digital companies. Who knows, perhaps someone who is a fifth-grader today will mature into a high-class IT professional thanks to Digital Lesson and will work to benefit the Russian digital future."

Digital Lesson on artificial intelligence and machine learning is part of Human Resources for the Digital Economy, a nationwide project. Over the past three years, children, parents and teachers have accessed the lessons on the project's website more than 38 million times. The project covered all 85 regions of Russia and expanded its geography in the 2019/2020 academic year - with the support of Rossotrudnichestvo, students of Russian-language schools from 100+ countries completed the simulations from leading digital economy companies in Russia. Digital Lesson was initiated by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation and ANO Data Economy. The objectives of the project are the development of digital competencies in schoolchildren and early career guidance - lessons help children navigate the world of professions related to computer technology and programming.