Demystifying AI

Photo by Luke Jones on Unsplash

Demystifying AI: a strategic, national STEM engagement programme working across the UK. From October 2025 to March 2026, Demystifying AI will deliver an inspirational programme of hands-on activities, discussions, digital experiences and experiments. From digital skills and coding, to chatbots and careers, this programme aims to break down some of the complex ideas and technologies, into meaningful, interactive experiences that share the UK’s world-leading AI research and innovation with school children, teachers, families and communities across the UK.

Programme goals

  • To partner with 15 science and discovery centres to deliver a coordinated, national programme of accessible and captivating engagement activities that reach with breadth and depth across schools, public and community audiences.
  • To promote the science, technology and future career opportunities linked with the UKRI research councils, including the work of STFC and the National Labs.
  • To collect postcode data of events and engagements, working with STFC to collate a dataset that better understands the collective geographical reach of this programme and, where possible, steer activity to previously identified ‘cold spots’ of engagement.
  • To achieve a collective reach of AI engagements of up to 50,000 children and adults during the project period.
  • To provide training events that ‘inspire the inspirers’, sharing knowledge, expertise and excellence in AI engagement practice across the informal science learning sector.
  • To collect an online, AI ‘Engagement Resource Hub’ of shareable, creative activities and experiences that can build and evolve into future engagements beyond March 2026.

To work with evidenced frameworks ( [i],[ii] ) to evaluate the impact and legacy of the programme, delivering a final vibrant report that highlights case studies, outcomes (such as relevance, agency, critical thinking skills and confidence engaging with AI) and shares insights for future public engagement.

[i] STFC Public Engagement Evaluation Framework (2024-2028)

[ii] ASDC Valuing Inclusion Theory of Change

Geographic reach

Through a competitive grant award programme, ASDC will work with the membership network to select 15 organisations, awarding grants of up to £10,000 for delivery partners. ASDC will be selecting a national spread of projects, with close consideration of centres that work in ‘cold spots’ of engagement identified by STFC and wider research (i.e. BSA/London Economic engagement and inequity map of the UK[i]).

Programme content

Fifteen contracted organisations will provide captivating and accessible opportunities where school children and teachers, families and the public connect with the latest in AI, Machine Learning and emerging technologies across the UK: exploring not just how AI works, but also its diverse applications in everyday life, and implications for the future of our society.

Programming content will source multiple disciplines relevant to AI, utilising the remits of UKRI research councils such as medical, environmental and physical sciences. It is expected that selected projects will operate both at breadth and at depth of engagement, with larger scale, in-centre engagement events with families and schools taking place, alongside more targeted programmes that focus on STFC Wonder audiences[i].

For projects building on partnerships and inclusive practice from previous STFC investment within the sector[ii], engagement will purposefully support participation from individuals and communities with reduced access to STEM resources and opportunities, or communities traditionally underrepresented in STEM.

We anticipate a range of interactive shows, workshops, career-relevant activities, STEM clubs, multiple community interactions, innovative digital engagements and exploratory and immersive experiences targeted for schools, visiting families and diverse communities across the UK.

[i] Public engagement: Wonder Initiative (STFC, part of UKRI)

[ii] Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in Science Centres and Museums

This project is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with project development supported by Science Technology Facilities Council (STFC, part of UKRI).