AI by 8: The Importance of Early Artificial Intelligence Education

With AI projected to influence over 60% of U.S. jobs, the stakes are high for every citizen to be fluent in its use. Instead of waiting until high school or college to introduce these concepts, AIR is partnering with North Carolina State University (NCSU), Partner to Improve, and rural North Carolina school districts to start early, where curiosity is abundant and learning is playful. 
 

What is AI by 8?

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AI by 8 is a multi-year initiative that is reimagining early childhood education by embedding foundational AI literacy into K-2 classrooms across rural North Carolina. Through storytelling, literacy-aligned lessons, and other unplugged activities, young learners begin to explore—without using a screen—how machines “see,” “learn,” and “reason.”

The research-practice partnership is centered on the belief that every child, regardless of geographic location, deserves to be educated on the fundamentals of artificial intelligence by the age of eight. 

Together with our partners, we are co-designing developmentally appropriate AI-infused lessons that integrate with early literacy instruction and align with English Language Arts standards. Lessons draw on leading frameworks, including AI4K12’s Five Big Ideas, Digital Promise’s AI Literacy Framework, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s AI Guidebook, ensuring rigor while staying accessible to young learners.
 

Teachers at the Center

Our work starts with educators. Eight AI Fellows—specially trained North Carolina educators—will serve as core partners, co-designing and refining lessons. Twenty classroom implementers will then put these lessons into practice across North Carolina, sharing feedback for continuous improvement. This model allows for deep collaboration and broad reach, ensuring lessons are practical, adaptable, and responsive to different rural contexts.
 

Professional Learning and Community

AI by 8 launched in Summer 2025 with a Professional Development Summit that brought together eight educators for hands-on training in AI literacy integration. This event marked the start of an ongoing professional learning community, where teachers continue to build capacity, share experiences, and shape the future of AI education for young children.
 

Our Commitment

AI by 8 is about more than lesson design; it is about sustainability and impact. Final materials will be made freely available online, alongside recorded professional development sessions, so educators everywhere can benefit. By combining rigorous research with classroom practice, AI by 8 is helping to ensure that the next generation has the tools they need to understand, shape, and thrive in a world powered by artificial intelligence.