Recent events at the American Museum of Science and Energy and in the Kansas Legislature highlight the importance of AI literacy and evidence-based reading strategies to prepare the modern workforce for the future challenges.
Event Highlights AI Literacy and Workforce Transition
At the American Museum of Science and Energy, Lynne Parker, director of the AI Tennessee Initiative at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, emphasized the importance of AI literacy. Parker, formerly of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, stated, “AI is pervasive and it’s here to stay.” She noted that while AI disrupts some jobs, it also creates more positions. Parker cited economist Richard Baldwin: “AI won’t take your job. It’s somebody using AI that will take your job.”
Parker stressed the need for modern workforce members, including children, to become AI literate. This does not necessitate coding skills but rather familiarity with AI tools. The University of Tennessee began offering an AI 101 course and plans a partnership with Arizona State University to expand access. UT will also offer majors and minors in applied AI and data science.
Mark Buckner, of Oak Ridge High School, shared how students utilize AI in projects. Parker projected that by decade’s end, 500,000 Tennessee jobs would either be augmented or replaced by AI. She listed jobs at risk: accounting clerks, administrative secretaries, customer service agents, data entry workers, budget and finance analysts, and media writers.
Parker highlighted AI’s impact on various fields, from medical diagnosis to finance automation and customer service. She concluded by suggesting websites like AI4K12 and Coursera’s “AI for Everyone” for those eager to start learning AI.
Kansas Implements Literacy Initiative
The Kansas Legislature passed a bill, signed by Governor Laura Kelly, mandating evidence-based reading strategies in education. Cindy Lane, set to resign from the Kansas Board of Regents, will lead the initiative as administrative director. The legislation allocates $10 million to improve reading proficiency, currently at 40%.
Blake Flanders, President of the Kansas Board of Regents, emphasized the initiative as a major workforce development project. Kansas state universities are tasked with offering new literacy courses to avoid sanctions. The law mandates collaboration between the Board of Regents and the State Board of Education, and by Jan. 1, the formation of an advisory committee consisting of various educational and governmental representatives.
The initiative targets improved student reading levels by 2033, aiming for 50% of third to eighth graders to achieve college or career readiness. According to Flanders, the state’s future workforce needs may create 56,000 new jobs by 2030, 80% of which will require a college degree. Lane likened the goal to a baseball team, with the advisory committee playing critical roles in achieving higher literacy.
