AI is Coming to the School Yard

Hello,

This is Simon with the latest edition of The Weekly. In these updates, I share key AI related stories from this week's news, list upcoming events, and share any longer form articles posted on the website.

The UK government looks set to accept recommendations to update the country's National Curriculum—the set of subjects and standards for schools in England. What’s caught my eye is the proposal to update the Computing subject to formally include data science and AI.

When I was at school, I chose ‘IT’ in my final years, dropping French like a stone. IT back then meant a semester on Desktop Publishing and a semester on Word Processing. I still have the Cambridge-awarded certificates up in the loft.

How times have changed.

Honestly, I think it’s amazing to see AI included. (I do wonder what training the teachers will have to go through!) The recommendation is for 16-18 year olds, who need to learn not just what AI is and how to use it, but also its dangers, morals, and ethics.

The report frames AI as a "transformative new technology" and a "rapid technological advancement" requiring an educational response. Key reasons for its inclusion are:

If school is meant to prepare children for their future life and work, AI must be on the curriculum.

Future generations are going to enter the working world with an entirely different set of tools and skills. This won't just prepare them to cope with the technical leaps we've seen; they will be the future leaders building new companies and ground-breaking products that we current adults can’t even imagine.

That’s exciting.

You can read the recommendations here.

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In this section, I highlight a real-world example of AI. This week I talk about how Airbnb is using Machine Learning to prevent unwanted parties.

AI isn’t just for engineers anymore, this week’s stories show how it’s reshaping the business landscape, from big-money investments to data readiness and safety concerns. Whether you’re experimenting with AI tools yourself or just trying to make sense of the hype, here’s what’s worth knowing.

Marketing expert Tony Hayes says a new $250 million AI investment wave marks a turning point.

Investors are pouring money into platforms that make AI accessible to business users rather than builders. In short, the advantage is shifting from who can code to who can apply AI effectively.

Why it matters: You no longer need to build AI from scratch to benefit from it — the opportunity now lies in understanding how to plug it into real-world problems.

The Guardian reports on the “mind-boggling” valuations of AI companies, with some now worth hundreds of billions and a $3 trillion global data-centre build-out underway. Economists are warning of overheated expectations.

Why it matters: There’s plenty of opportunity in AI, but not every company will deliver the promised returns. Focus on usefulness over hypem where does AI genuinely save time, money, or risk in your business?

A new industry study finds many firms can’t get full value from AI because their data isn’t ready. Issues like messy spreadsheets, missing context, and siloed systems are holding companies back.

Why it matters: The biggest AI bottleneck often isn’t the model, it’s your data. Before chasing shiny new tools, focus on making your data consistent, accurate, and easy to access.

Thanks for reading, and see you next Friday.

Simon,

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