Understanding students’ artificial intelligence literacy and career aspirations: Students, teachers, and experts views in Indonesian context

BACKGROUND: The significant improvement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in human lives triggered the researchers to find out whether or not understanding AI literacy become a new important literacy in the future. The views regarding AI literacy and Indonesian students’ current learning environments and experiences in utilizing AI technologies for learning as well as the role of the primary school teachers are important in shaping students’ ideas of their future career. Understanding career aspirations of students could help teachers to prepare the students for their future by helping them to acquire the important skills needed. 
METHODS: This is a case study towards primary school students in Central Java, Indonesia. The data collected were drawings of their future jobs and AI technologies they are familiar with, and the result of interviews from teachers, students and AI experts. Students drew their imagination of their future jobs in the next 15 or 20 years when they grown-up. In the drawing they included also the technologies that probably be used in their future jobs. Then students were asked to draw what AI technologies they are familiar with. After that, interviews were conducted to find out students, teachers, and experts understanding of AI literacy as a new literacy for future career. 
RESULTS: The results portrayed primary students’ familiarity of AI technologies in relation with their early career aspirations, and teachers as well as experts understanding of AI literacy. The comparisons between students, teachers, and experts understanding of AI literacy were further discussed in this research. 
CONCLUSIONS: This study is a preliminary study of Artificial Intelligence Literacy of Primary school students in Indonesia. This will be the basis for further studies in developing best practice of teaching AI literacy in the context of primary school in Indonesia. Copyright © 2020 The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK).