On Tuesday, Miami Dade College (MDC) announced a significant collaboration with Google, unveiling a $2 million investment aimed at expanding educational opportunities in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
This funding is designed to enhance the college’s existing programs by improving digital infrastructure, training educators, and developing AI-centric curriculum resources for both college and K-12 faculty.
In addition, professional development programs and certifications will be made available to help educators effectively teach emerging AI technologies.
The announcement came during a panel discussion held at MDC’s Wolfson campus.
Google’s chief technologist of learning and sustainability, Ben Gomes, emphasized the importance of preparing educators for a future where AI plays a dominant role in the classroom.
“Miami Dade College has been on the frontier for actually training educators and others to use AI,” Gomes stated.
He expressed enthusiasm about the innovative ways that AI is currently being utilized in educational settings across the region.
The $2 million investment is being distributed through the National Applied AI Consortium (NAAIC), a collaborative effort initiated by community colleges, including MDC.
This initiative symbolizes Miami’s growing commitment to AI education, a vision championed by Mayor Francis Suarez, who aims to position the city as a burgeoning tech capital.
In recent years, Suarez has worked to create attractive conditions for investors and has appeared at numerous local cryptocurrency conferences to promote Miami’s potential in the tech sector.
Reflecting on Miami’s previous reputation as primarily a vacation destination, Suarez noted that the city needed to be recognized for its business initiatives.
He remarked, “We were kind of known as a place for sun and fun, but we didn’t have a reputation for doing serious business.”
Suarez also shared a personal anecdote that highlighted his own use of AI tools.
He recounted a moment earlier this year when he was unexpectedly unprepared to deliver a speech for the opening of the Consulate of Morocco.
Turning to an AI chatbot for assistance, he requested the chatbot to provide a speech based on two key facts.
Interestingly, as he walked to the podium, the AI generated his remarks, which resonated deeply with the audience.
“I delivered the speech word for word. I had people crying in the audience. They hugged me afterwards,” he recounted, drawing laughter from the audience at MDC.
The dialogue also touched upon the ethical implications surrounding AI technology and its responsible use.
State Representative Mike Giallombardo, R-Cape Coral, weighed in on the need for appropriate regulation to ensure student safety without stifling access to innovative technologies.
He cautioned against over-regulating AI, suggesting that it should be treated similarly to other tools, where the focus is on punishing those who misuse it.
“You hit somebody in the head with a hammer, it’s illegal, right? I think that’s the approach that we have to start taking when it comes to regulating AI,” Giallombardo argued.
Concerns about AI’s impact have gained prominence, particularly with reports of AI tools potentially encouraging harmful behaviors among youth and the misuse of technology for creating deepfake content.
What has become evident is that attitudes toward AI have shifted in Miami, moving from skepticism to an appreciation of its potential benefits in the workplace.
Part of this transition includes initiatives like the collaboration between the Miami-Dade school district and Google to make access to Gemini, Google’s AI chatbot, available to students and teachers.
As a result, 100,000 high school students and 18,000 teachers in the country’s third-largest school district can now utilize this technology.
Gomes concluded by emphasizing the crucial role of teachers in the learning process.
“Learning has to become something that you want to do. You have to be motivated to do that, and I think that comes from partnership with teachers,” he stated.
He reiterated that while technology plays a supporting role, the essence of learning is about connections between people.
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