Petition for Increased Government Funding and Legislative Support for The National Assembly of Kenya Coding Challenge

“In an age of AI,CS isn’t just mandatory,it is foundational”

-Code.org / TeachAI

Image src: Code.org / TeachAI

The petition titled “Petition for Increased Government Funding and Legislative Support for The National Assembly of Kenya Coding Challenge” is submitted by Fred Ondieki Sagwe, the Co-Founder and CEO of the Robotics Society of Kenya. The petition emphasizes the need for increased government funding and legislative support for initiatives that promote technology education, particularly in the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and coding.

Key points include:

1. Robotics Society of Kenya: The petition describes the organization’s mission to promote computing and technology education through robotics, AI, and related fields.
2. Funding and Support: It advocates for government funding to support the development of a robust AI and robotics ecosystem in Kenya.
3. Educational Initiatives: The petition highlights the importance of funding robotics clubs and chess education in schools to foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and technical skills essential for careers in AI and robotics.
4. International Comparisons: It references initiatives like the Congressional App Challenge in the U.S. as models for encouraging innovation through coding competitions.
5. Infrastructure and Access: Proposes the establishment of solar-powered computer labs in shipping containers to provide accessible technology education in underserved areas.
6. Teacher Development: Stresses the importance of creating AI Master Trainers to enhance educators’ proficiency in teaching AI-related subjects.
7. Ethical AI: Emphasizes the need for responsible AI development, including education on potential biases and ethical considerations.

The petition concludes with specific requests for the National Assembly to increase funding, launch a national coding challenge, support the Robotics Society of Kenya, and establish necessary infrastructure and teacher training to promote technology education across Kenya.

Conclusion

According to Forbes,Robotics and AI certainly have the power to transform our world, helping us navigate a rapidly changing future with greater confidence and optimism. Whether we embrace these emerging technologies or resist them, they’re undoubtedly here to stay and will continue to play an increasingly important role in all of our lives.

Further Reading

[1.] Code Org.What is the future of k12 cs education in an age of ai

[2.] CSTA. New Guidance from TeachAI and CSTA Emphasizes Computer Science Education More Important than Ever in an Age of AI

[3.] African Women in Tech: CALL TO THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION KENYA TO HAVE A NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON UNESCO FRAMEWORK AI GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS TOOLKIT_TEACH AI POLICY IN KENYA EDUCATION SYSTEM

[4.] National Education Association (NEA): AI policy statement

[5.] Global Teacher Prize: Chess and Robotics: Two Worlds United

[6.] Voice.UK.Interview with Fred Sagwe

[7.] Medium. Reflecting on AI in Education:Road to #MSFTEduChat TweetMeet

[8.] TED.How AI could save (not destroy) education

[9.] MatScienceChannel.Case for ICT, Computer Science and Chess in Early Childhood Education byFred Sagwe

[10.] YouTube.Chess Playing Robot Powered by Raspberry Pi — Raspberry Turk

[11.] African Women in Tech. Proposed legislation for the establishment of the Kenya Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Society Bill,2023.

[12.] Daily Nation. How Africa is getting ready for the impending age of robots

[13.] African Union. African Union committed to developing AI capabilities in Africa

[14.] United Nations.General Assembly adopts landmark resolution on artificial intelligence

[15.] European Parliament. EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence

[16.] Colorado General Assembly. SB24–20 Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence

[17.]Verge: California legislature passes sweeping AI safety bill

[18.] The White House: Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights

[19.] Raspberry Pi.Raspberry Pi Jam Nakuru

[20.] The Chess Drum. Kenya’s Sagwe walks 165kms to promote chess

[21.] Parliament of Kenya:Senate: Report on the Petition Concerning the Introduction of Chess Game in the School Curriculum as a Tool for Education and Promotion of Good Health

[22.] The Star.Chess games now part of CBC

[23.] Michigan Tech.What is computer science

[24.] Google Deep Mind. AlphaZero: Shedding new light on chess, shogi, and Go

[25.] Stanford University.CHESS AS THE DROSOPHILA OF AI

[26.] ScienceDirect: Handbook of Game Theory with Economic Applications

[27.] Linkedln. 10 Free Courses by Google on Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence)

[28.] IoT World Today: China introduces governance guidelines for humanoid robots

[29.] The Robotreport: China proposes guidelines for future humanoid development

[30.] Forbes: Why Robotics And Artificial Intelligence Are The Future Of Mankind

“AI is the biggest revolution since the invention of the internet,perhaps since the second industrial revolution.”

@UN @antonioguterres

Governments,industry,academia,and civil society must develop rules and guidelines for AI safety-together, and before it is too late.

Note:

To help spread the good news about the Robotics Society of Kenya. You can join the Robotics Society of Kenya, subscribe to our Google Group, call us, and Email us respectively:

Follow us on Twitter, Medium blog, and Facebook. Subscribe to the Robotics Society of Kenya YouTube channel and visit our site.

Over to you

Thank you for reading. It has been great fun to dive into Petition for Increased Government Funding and Legislative Support for The National Assembly of Kenya Coding Challenge.

And hope you picked one or two tips from this post. I’d love to hear from you and learn from your experience and reflections in the comments section below.

Thank you for reading!