It is our responsibility to have a real ‘conversation’ with our kids about the future of technology
— Bo Ai, Marketing & Sales Coordinator at ReadyAI
It was 15 years ago when I got my first mobile phone — The Nokia N70. Mobile communication had just entered the era of smartphones in the Symbian system. The so called ‘smartphone’ was nothing more than an upgrade from the black and white screen to a color screen, with, of course, basic Internet access. Back then, the mobile phone was only a communication device, and many of us also thought that it would continue to be so. However, it has surprised us all.
It was the beginning of an exciting time for technology. I remember how the most discussed subject at home was what major I should be studying once I start university. Influenced by the developments in the industry, my parents firmly believed that I should choose computer science as my major. Though, I am not sure if they had enough reasons to back their conviction. Speaking for myself, I had no idea about how the computer industry would go on to develop.
Regardless, I decided to go with their conviction & I chose computer science as my undergraduate major, unbeknownst to the number of jobs that were going to wait for me after graduation.
My painful four-year journey officially started with a course on the C language. The phrase ‘Hello World’ on the first page of the textbook made me feel lost. It was because, at that time, I didn’t know the importance of learning logic and algorithms. This lack of understanding, coupled with the lack of interest in the subject itself made my journey all the more challenging. And as a result, while I was at university, I was simultaneously engaging in other industries that were more interesting to me.
But now that I think about it, I am sure that giving up entirely on the computer industry would be an unwise decision, as it would take away many fulfilling opportunities.
Fortunately, every single decision I made has worked out for me. My background in computer science, coupled with my work experience in other industries such as marketing and finance, landed me a job at ReadyAI as a Sales & Marketing Coordinator. If there is one thing I am entirely convinced of by now is that this is the most meaningful job I have done in the last ten years.
Why? It is simple. It is because every day I can witness the impact of the work I do. Our products and services go on to benefit schools, non-profits, educators, and especially younger students, who deserve such education but do not have enough resources to get started with. Our offerings help them establish a strong understanding of computers and artificial intelligence technology, which I wish I had when I started at university.
With our resources, children will not fall into the same dilemma that I fell into when they enter the workforce in the future. Our courses are designed to answer each question that can possibly come their way while discovering the world of Artificial Intelligence: What are we doing? Why are we doing it? And my favorite one — what can we do in the future with our AI-knowledge? And, I can say for sure, the possibilities are endless.
So to finally sum it up, there are now two things I am passionate about now. First, I want to make sure more children get access to the various offerings we have at ReadyAI so they can benefit from the knowledge. Secondly, I want my children to not only know but also understand the potential of STEM education. I don’t want to simply tell them that the future looks promising for computer science. I want them to believe that as well.
Learn more about what we do at: www.readyai.org
