At CES last week, Lego unveiled the Smart Play system featuring a technologically advanced Smart Brick capable of identifying and engaging with various sets and minifigures. It was refreshing to observe how the company is updating its classic bricks while avoiding reliance on mobile applications, displays, or artificial intelligence.
This week's announcement from Lego Education about its new Computer Science and AI Learning Solution caught some off guard. Generative AI might appear to clash with Lego's emphasis on imagination, yet Andrew Silwinski, the head of product experience at Lego Education, explained that gaining proficiency in AI underpinnings focuses less on creating low-quality visuals or audio and more on broadening computer science education.
"We began developing this well before ChatGPT gained widespread attention," Silwinski shared with Engadget this week. "The core concepts supporting AI offer strong building blocks, independent of the latest trending models. Guiding young learners through topics such as probability, statistics, data integrity, algorithmic prejudice, sensors, and machine sensing remains essential, drawing from principles established in the 1970s."
Lego Education has created grade-specific programs for kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth, and sixth through eighth, blending traditional bricks with supplementary devices and activities to present AI essentials within computer science frameworks. These kits support collaborative work among groups of four pupils under instructor guidance. This effort stems from research Lego commissioned, which revealed that educators frequently lack suitable materials for these topics. The findings indicated that 50% of teachers worldwide believe existing tools fail to engage students, and almost as many noted that computer science feels disconnected from children's everyday lives and hobbies. Leveraging children's comfort with Lego alongside the company's long history in educational program development makes this expansion a sensible progression.
Lego's documentation for these programs highlights a wide array of subjects beyond AI alone. Through constructing models with Lego elements paired with motors and other components, students explore programming, iterative loops, event activation, sequential operations, conditional statements, and additional elements. The curriculum resembles a comprehensive computer science class that incorporates AI principles, rather than aiming to have participants construct conversational bots.
Lego established strict boundaries for AI integration. "We ensure no data ever transmits online to us or external entities," Silwinski emphasized. "This sets a challenging standard in AI development." Rather than cloud-based processing, the system performs on-device computations, compatible with outdated classroom laptops like decade-old Chromebooks, according to Silwinski. He further noted that students can develop their own machine learning systems entirely within the classroom, with all information remaining on the individual devices.
The educational content from Lego avoids portraying AI in human-like terms, a frequent issue in popular tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. "Many generative AI applications lead children to perceive them as sentient or mystical, largely due to interactive designs that conceal underlying processes," Silwinski observed.
Lego recognized the need for a program accessible to instructors with varying expertise in these areas. A key aspect of creation involved equipping teachers with comprehensive support. "During testing, we hand the materials to educators in real school settings," Silwinski said. "This includes full lesson plans, professional development sessions, explanatory guides, slide decks, and all necessary elements for effective delivery." Considering diverse entry points—some starting in early grades while others begin later—Lego Education collaborates with districts and schools to provide tailored onboarding for smooth progression.
Although introducing AI education initially seemed mismatched for Lego, the method aligns closely with the Smart Play approach. In Smart Play, the tech operates seamlessly in the background, allowing children to build freely and enjoy enhanced features without connecting to software or monitors. Similarly, Silwinski pointed out that much of the Computer Science and AI kit's activities require no display, especially for early learners. The kits include a networking feature resembling a mesh system, enabling connections of multiple actuators and detectors to create sophisticated responses and actions without a separate computing device.
Educators eager to explore this program can preorder individual kits from $339.95, with shipments beginning in April. This entry price applies to the kindergarten-through-second-grade version; the third-through-fifth-grade and sixth-through-eighth-grade options cost $429.95 and $529.95 each. Each kit accommodates four students. Larger packages of six kits are available, and institutions can inquire about customized pricing for bulk purchases.