Through a pilot project, the state became the first in the country to integrate AI education into the public network. This initiative, which encourages students to understand and interact with technologies, has won an award from UNESCO. At a time when young people’s use of electronic devices and screens is controversial, Piaui decided to adopt another approach: it became the first state in the entire American continent to include teaching artificial intelligence as a compulsory subject in the curricula of secondary schools and ninth grade.
The Piaoui AI program was implemented at the beginning of 2024, placing the country alongside countries such as China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are investing in teaching artificial intelligence. According to the Piauí government, the project currently reaches more than 120,000 students in public schools, as a result of the training of about 800 teachers in 540 school units.
The program was developed in partnership with the Instituto Federal de Farroupilha (IFFar), the Universidade Federal do Pampa (Unipampa), the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and the Instituto Federal Sul-rio-grandense (IFSul), institutions with expertise in teacher training and in developing curriculum references aligned with the National Common Curriculum Base (BNCC).
According to Christian Brackmann, a professor at the IFFar Institute, the idea of bringing artificial intelligence closer to basic education emerged after practical experiments in teacher training.
The proposal gained strength when the Piauí Ministry of Education decided to incorporate it into the school curriculum. The goal, according to Brackman, is to prepare students to understand and engage critically with technologies. “The difference between Piauí was that he recognized the potential of the proposal and decided to turn it into public policy,” he says.
The project, which combines technical foundations with ethical reflections on the use of artificial intelligence, received international recognition in October. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) awarded the program the King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Award for the Use of ICT in Education.
How the project works on the ground
Even with the approval of the Computing Standard in Basic Education, which has been in effect since 2022, computing – especially artificial intelligence – faces difficulties in implementation in many Brazilian schools.
According to Piaui’s Education Secretary, Washington Bandeira, the goal is to train young people who are ready for the labor market and critically understand the role of artificial intelligence in today’s society.
The curriculum for the new subject, according to the government, covers technical basics, such as machine learning, algorithms, decision trees, computational thinking, and discussions about ethics, social impacts, and responsible use of digital tools.
The Ministry of Education says it has organized the content based on international studies and specialized publications.
According to the government, these classes encourage students to think “about and about AI,” and combine hands-on activities with discussions about its social impacts. According to Bandera, all public schools already have access to the Internet and more than 90% of them have computer laboratories with technical support, which made the implementation of AI teaching possible.
For Brackman, the proposal goes beyond artistic training. “Teaching AI in Piaui seeks to develop digital literacy, critical thinking, and understanding of how intelligent systems work, make decisions, and influence society,” he explains.
Implementation challenges
Teacher training was conducted in a blended manner, combining synchronous virtual meetings with active methodologies and flipped classrooms, says Rosa Maria Vicari, Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on ICT for Latin America at UFRGS.
“One week before the synchronous meeting, students and teachers receive support materials related to the topic of the next face-to-face or synchronous meeting. The synchronous meeting is used to answer questions and deepen knowledge. We always provide suggestions on how the topic can be addressed, by student teachers, in their classes, in a connected and separate way. Based on the materials and suggestions, they adapt and create their own content and lesson plans,” he explains.
Vicary explains that training is organized in phases. The first year aims to understand artificial intelligence, its limitations, capabilities and performance. The second year focuses on practical application, while the third year will be devoted to creating projects aimed at solving local problems.
She highlights that despite the presence of the infrastructure, the quality of the Internet in Teresina, for example, differs significantly from the hinterland in Piaui, which requires separate AI methods. In this case, the researchers chose “offline” activities, without using computational tools and completely offline. Thus, the concepts of logic, data, decision-making and other content are explored using simple resources such as pencils, paper, eraser, glue, scissors and other school materials.
For IFFar’s Brackman, another important challenge was dealing with the heterogeneity of the teaching staff, made up of professionals from different fields, from the exact and biological sciences to the humanities, languages and arts. Many teachers had no prior computing experience. “Introducing teachers and many students to the concepts of computing and artificial intelligence was initially a barrier,” he says. “For many, the world of computers was unexplored.
It also highlights infrastructure as a barrier to full implementation. Access to computers, stable internet, and familiarity with digital tools are not always uniform. Teachers’ interaction with the new teaching format, through video classes, online tutoring and flipped classroom methodology, also generated initial doubts and fears. But, according to Brackman, they were outmatched throughout the course.
Impact and outcomes for students
According to Brackman, tests applied in the five conceptual themes that include computational thinking, pattern recognition, symbolic thinking, statistical thinking, and machine learning have shown significant progress among teachers, with 426 teachers having been certified by the end of 2024 and already working in public schools.
But what attracted the most attention, according to the researcher, were the qualitative reports. To arrive at the results, the method included interviews, an e-book issued by teachers, reflective memos, classroom observations, and reports of pedagogical practices.
In this way, teachers noticed changes in students’ engagement, curiosity, and independence, as they began to connect AI content to everyday topics, such as sustainability, social networking, fake news, and digital ethics.
“By understanding how AI works, how it learns, what data it works with and what its limitations are, students begin to question and think about the role of technology in their lives and in society,” Brackman says.
Minister Washington Bandera also highlights practical examples of applying this knowledge. According to him, students are already presenting AI projects at national exhibitions and events, using the technology to solve concrete problems in schools and communities.
“AI is also seen as a language. Therefore, students not only need to use this technology, but they also need to think about it. When used well, AI can be an important ally so that we can develop this competence in our students, allowing for personalized learning and creativity in developing projects,” says Bandera.