When Paleontology Meets AI, K-12 Students Find Thrilling New Ways To Study Shark Fossils

Sharks, on their own, are fascinating enough for Florida students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Add artificial intelligence to the study of these creatures and their fossilized teeth, and you get Shark AI – a program that is blending paleontology and cutting-edge technology in STEM curriculums statewide.  

Funded by a $1.3-million grant from the National Science Foundation, Shark AI (also known as AI Learning in K-12 with Fossil Sharks) is a collaboration between the University of Florida’s Thompson Earth Systems Institute, UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, UF’s College of Education, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.  

The project builds on students’ natural curiosity about sharks while introducing them to customizable, standards-based lessons in computer science, engineering, and technology through tools like interactive machine-learning models.  

“We believe this foundational knowledge will inspire students to consider careers in STEM,” said Jeremy Waisome, Ph.D., an assistant professor in UF’s College of Engineering and one of the project’s principal investigators. “We hope to understand ways to integrate AI into science classrooms that are accessible, engaging, and exciting.” 

Read more about When Paleontology Meets AI, K-12 Students Find Thrilling New Ways To Study Shark Fossils.