Elena Kazakova becomes scientific editor of the first textbook on artificial intelligence for schoolchildren
The first Russian textbook on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) for schoolchildren in grades 5–9 has been published. The textbook was prepared by the Prosveshcheniye Publishing House in collaboration with the Alliance for Artificial Intelligence. It was scientifically edited by Elena Kazakova, Director of the Institute of Pedagogy at St Petersburg University, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Education, and Doctor of Pedagogy.
The authors of the textbook include 30 leading Russian developers of artificial intelligence technologies, representing organisations such as Sber, Yandex, T Bank, MTS, and Gazprom Neft.
The textbook aims to provide children with a realistic understanding of what artificial intelligence is. It explains how and for which tasks professionals in diverse fields — such as science, education, healthcare, ecology, and industry — use artificial intelligence, while also addressing its ethical application and digital security concerns. The developers emphasised their core message: AI is neither an enemy nor a miracle, but a useful tool in human hands.
Elena Kazakova highlighted that this is the world’s first officially approved textbook on artificial intelligence for schoolchildren, having successfully passed all evaluations by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.
"It is engagingly organised, with numerous exercises and comics," said Elena Kozakova. Acknowledging concerns about the rapid development of AI potentially making the textbook outdated, she reassured that the authoring team, which includes four scientists from St Petersburg University, is prepared to revise and improve it as needed.
The textbook also features a digital supplement that incorporates generative AI services such as GigaChat and Kandinsky. This enables schoolchildren to experiment with AI by learning to create texts and illustrations using neural networks.