Seoul pilot teaches AI ethics first to about 3,000 elementary students

Techloy, citing an Al Jazeera report, says six elementary schools in Seoul, South Korea, are piloting an AI curriculum with about 3,000 students in grades three to six. Students first learn AI ethics, then data management, AI algorithm fundamentals, block coding, and how to build facial recognition cameras and robots. An executive from the Seoul AI Foundation called the program part of a national strategy, and more than 34,000 teachers have been trained since 2020.

The pilot places AI ethics before algorithms and coding, offering an observable example of content sequencing and teacher preparation for elementary AI courses. It also shows South Korea tying AI education to its national goal of becoming an AI power, which may influence how other countries and regions design the starting age and ethics modules of similar curricula. The report provides no independent assessment of student performance or course outcomes, so only the content, participation scale, and teacher training numbers can be confirmed, not learning effectiveness. About 3,000 students in grades three to six at six Seoul elementary schools are encountering AI algorithms, coding, and robotics after first learning ethics. South Korea has trained more than 34,000 teachers since 2020, providing a teacher base for expanding AI courses to more schools.