Countries around the globe are grappling with the question of how to best reap the benefits of AI. An important consideration here is the impact on the human capabilities that are needed: how to ensure that people have the skills to be able to make use of AI in an effective, sensible, and safe way?
For our latest Spotlight Series entry, we were delighted to speak to Prof. Dr. Nino Enukidze. She is the rector of the Business and Technology University in Tbilisi and drives several important AI initiatives related to education in Georgia. We discussed the challenges Georgia faces in becoming AI-ready, as well as specific initiatives led by Prof. Dr. Enukidze that are making a significant impact, including AI4Globe and Women in AI.
Georgia’s AI landscape has been shaped by private actors
In recent times, Georgia has faced a series of political challenges. These circumstances have influenced national policy priorities, and as a result, the development of a comprehensive AI strategy and regulatory framework has not yet been fully realised.
Several private sectoral stakeholders have stepped into this vacuum, to promote Georgia’s AI readiness. Specifically, private universities are playing an important role, both in thinking about AI on a strategic level, and in providing practical initiatives to improve AI readiness. While a national AI strategy is still to be released, researchers at Prof. Dr. Enukidze’s Business and Technology University have taken important steps forward. They have formulated guiding principles for a national AI strategy, to assist the government in this mission. However, Prof. Dr. Enukidze emphasised that the role of the government is crucial as it holds the mandate to establish norms for the ethical use of AI and the protection of data privacy.
AI skill development is a crucial element in improving AI readiness in Georgia
Apart from not having developed a national AI strategy, Georgia faces other challenges related to AI readiness. Currently, lacking infrastructure and limited access to digital devices hinder effective AI adoption. This is particularly evident in rural areas, where internet access is spotty, and many people lack the financial means to buy smartphones or computers.
Furthermore, Prof. Dr. Enukidze tells us that some educators and members of the general public are scared to start using AI. Some perceive AI as something that will disrupt the labour market, and as potentially undermining the quality of education. Both of these fears highlight the importance of investing in AI awareness and education. It is crucial to learn how to use AI to enhance human productivity, rather than replace it, and to learn how to adopt AI in education while still teaching students critical thinking skills. These considerations helped Prof. Dr. Enukidze to formulate which skills and what knowledge are needed to make good use of AI:
- Digital literacy: it might seem obvious, but it is important to realise that some specific groups do not already have strong digital skills, and these skills are crucial to make effective use of AI;
- Knowledge about AI abilities, risks, and limitations: knowledge about what AI can do, and cannot do, is crucial to put it to use in suitable use cases. It is also important to know of the risks that are associated with AI use;
- Math and quantitative reasoning: mathematical reasoning enables people to more fundamentally understand AI systems, which makes sure that they know how and when they should use it. Naturally, if someone wants to develop rather than merely use AI systems, strong quantitative skills are indispensable rather than just ‘nice to have’;
- Communication skills: in the age of AI, it is crucial to be able to precisely articulate ideas, both to other humans and to effectively instruct AI systems.
Prof. Dr. Enukidze knew that these skills had to form the foundation for the educational AI initiatives that she has been involved in.
AI4Globe is helping to build AI skills
To promote the development of skills and knowledge relevant for AI, Prof. Dr. Enukidze launched AI4Globe in collaboration with colleagues from the Business and Technology University, as well as foreign institutions and UN agencies. The goal of this initiative is to raise awareness among various target groups about AI use cases, risks, and limitations. When launching the initiative, Prof. Dr. Enukidze and her colleagues decided to focus on four target groups, for each of which the programme has a different focus:
- Academica: here, the emphasis is on showing educators how to integrate AI into education while enabling the development of critical thinking skills in students;
- Medium- and small businesses: here, the focus is on creating awareness of the potential of AI and learning how to integrate AI into business operations in an effective way;
- Women: here, the emphasis is on boosting AI skills for the labour market;
- Children and youth: here, the focus is on digital literacy and safe digital practices.
For each group, the programme is delivered through training sessions, workshops, and longer-running courses.
The strength of AI4Globe is that it makes knowledge that might only have been available on paid platforms available to a much wider group of people. The target groups of this programme simply wouldn’t have access to this information without this initiative, which makes it a great example of a social approach to AI readiness.
Women in AI helps to tackle the specific issues that women face
Women in AI is another initiative that Prof. Dr. Enukidze has been involved in. As in most places around the world, women in Georgia face issues related to underrepresentation, skill gaps, limited job access, gender stereotypes, and economic barriers. The goal of the Women in AI programme is to alleviate some of these issues, through a nine-month training programme focused on providing technical skills and job placement support. It is an intensive course, where participants are taught different programming languages, and other skills that are necessary to succeed in the AI industry. The programme has seen a low dropout rate, and has succeeded in reaching vulnerable groups such as Ukrainian refugee women.
Education should play an important role in thinking about AI readiness
Other countries should take inspiration from these Georgian initiatives. To be able to properly adopt AI, and use it in an effective, safe, and appropriate way, people need to be enabled to learn the skills that are necessary to succeed. AI4Globe and Women in AI are some great examples of how this can be put into practice.
