KT (CEO Park Jong-wook) announced on the ninth that it conducted a special test called ‘AICE Future’ to judge elementary and middle school students’ ability to make use of artificial intelligence (AI).

The Ace, an AI proficiency test developed by KT, has been conducted mainly for adults and highschool students.

Ace Future, the advisable level for elementary and middle school students, is split into three grades.

Ace Future focuses on understanding the fundamental principles of AI and cultivating computational considering and artistic problem-solving capabilities through block coding. KT’s block coding platform ‘AI Codini’ is used for education and testing, so candidates can understand the principles of algorithms and practice voice synthesis or voice recognition.

This special test was designed with multiple-choice questions asking about AI concepts and ethics, practice task questions to resolve problems with block coding, and project-type block coding questions. Along with individual applicants, there have been cases where AI education was applied to public education by taking the exam as a bunch at Sangmyeong Elementary School in Seoul and Gwangcheon Middle School in Hongseong.

Particularly, at Sangmyeong Elementary School in Seoul, 19 gifted students are known to have formed their very own club to organize for the exam. Kim Jin-won, principal of Sangmyeong Elementary School, said, “The most important achievement is that students within the gifted class studied together, took the exam, and have become concerned with and understood the concept of artificial intelligence.” I feel this has been a fantastic motivation, so I need to actively recommend it to my friends.”

Meanwhile, because of this of a survey of test takers, 94% of the test takers expressed their willingness to tackle the following level of the test, and amongst elementary school students, 4th and fifth graders accounted for the best proportion at 50%. Success might be checked on the ACE website, and certificates and digital badges are issued to successful applicants.

Within the second half of this yr, KT plans to open the primary and second levels, the upper levels of this special test, sequentially, and to carry the regular Ace Future test in earnest. As well as, it plans to open an ace camp to expand the domestic AI base and collaborate with the Busan National Science Museum to extend access to opportunities to enhance AI utilization capabilities for youth within the southeastern region. As a part of fostering creative convergence AI talent, additionally it is collaborating with Sangmyung University’s Creative Arts Gifted Education Center.

“Within the digital era, the power to make use of AI will likely be a basic competency that everybody must have, no matter age,” said Jin Young-sim, head of KT Group Human Resources Development Office. I’ll contribute to growing right into a digital native that solves problems.”

Reporter Juyoung Lee juyoung09@aitimes.com