At the Iowa AI Convening event Monday at the Science Center of Iowa, government officials, business representatives, educators and nonprofits gathered to explore how artificial intelligence is shaping learning, workforce development and innovation across Iowa.
In the convening’s opening remarks, Justin Lewis, executive director of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, discussed Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Executive Order 14, signed last year, which directs the STEM Advisory Council to ensure that Iowa students have access to “cutting-edge educational opportunities.”
“While there has been significant progress with STEM in Iowa, the landscape continues to evolve, and it is essential that we adapt in order to equip Iowa’s learners with the necessary skills to be successful in their careers,” he said. “Over the past year, conversations about artificial intelligence have accelerated dramatically. The way we think about learning is changing. The way we think about work is changing.”
Lewis also said the executive order highlights the need to establish foundational knowledge and ethical use of AI in schools.
“This is about ensuring that Iowa stays proactive as new tools and expectations are reshaping the workforce,” he said.
AI is becoming more integrated into the advisory council’s programs, he said. For example, the STEM teacher externship program helps educators understand the evolving needs of Iowa’s industry by spending a part of their summer working with industry professionals “as AI transforms a multitude of industries such as agriculture and manufacturing,” Lewis said. “These experiences help teachers bring relevant, up-to-date examples back to their classrooms and students. These programs are helping build a foundation, one that ensures Iowa students aren’t just prepared for the future, but confident in it.”
AI may be changing how jobs will work, but it is also creating influence, Lewis said.
“And while AI may influence the way we teach, how we work and how students tackle challenges, the future of Iowa remains in the hands of its people,” he said. “We need to make sure that every learner, educator and worker has the tools and opportunities they need to grow and to stay curious.”
Rob Burnett, vice president of science learning at the Science Center of Iowa, said AI is the most important technology developed today.
“Every major company, every government across the globe is investing in AI,” he said. “It is shaping conversations about education, jobs, health care, creativity and the products that we use every day. And yet, despite how present AI already is in our lives, very few people truly understand what AI is, what it does or how it works. At the Science Center of Iowa, we believe that understanding matters. Our goal is to make AI real and relevant, not mysterious or frightening.”
Burnett said it is time to figure out what it means to be a digital citizen.
“We need to figure out what it means to be literate with these tools,” he said. “AI has every opportunity to fuel innovation, and of course, can misinform if misused.”
Related coverage:
New Science Center exhibit invites visitors to explore how AI works in everyday life