When I headed to enjoy the summer solstice at Stonehenge, I didn’t realise it would then give me content for my next blog!  After enjoying the celebrations, I reflected on this ancient tradition and parallels with a modern world.  Our learners are living in a world with smart technology and “digital” everywhere.  This made me ask – “How do we continue to talk AI in Education in a way that is meaningful?”, in the same way that Stonehenge connects people to something bigger.

Pattern Recognition – Then and Now

In the same way that ancient peoples studied the movement of the sun to align Stonehenge, AI relies on pattern recognition. Early humans observed seasonal cycles and celestial patterns to build something meaningful, today we train AI to recognise patterns in data, such as predicting weather, analysing behaviour and powering navigation systems.

Cross-Curricular Thinking: From Stones to Smart Systems

Stonehenge is a powerful example of interdisciplinary knowledge in action, we have astronomy, geometry, geography and also social and religious understanding. Similarly, AI development is a cross-curricular activity, which blends computer science, ethics, psychology and linguistics. The Stonehenge stones are a reminder that complex problem-solving has always needed integrated thinking, in exactly the same way as AI needs and does today.

Human Curiosity and Machine Intelligence

The solstice event is a reminder of human curiosity and innovation, two core drivers of progress.  At its heart, AI is a tool shaped by human curiosity, which has evolved from our desire to understand the world, automate tasks and extend what we can do in all areas of our lives.  Watching the sun rise over Stonehenge is symbolic of how far we have come, from observing nature to now building machines and systems that learn from nature.

Everyday AI in Action

The experience of getting to Stonehenge was touched by AI, such as using Google Maps to guide my journey, through to my smartphone camera using AI-enhanced image processing to take that sunrise photo and a selfie. This is a real world examples of AI seamlessly integrated into everyday life, with an enhancing experience that many of us don’t realise or sometimes take for granted.  This is one of the messages we need to get across to learners in our classrooms.

Heritage – Inspired AI Design

Some AI researchers draw inspiration from ancient wisdom and natural systems, for example some AI models mimic neural patterns or mirror evolution of how nature and human beings throughout history have solved problems. In some ways you can say that the feeling of awe and wonderment of the sun rising and shining through the heel stone year after year is akin to designing systems that improve our lives.

Final Thought

Stonehenge is a timeless symbol of observation, understanding and design. AI is our modern equivalent, most of us have access to a new, powerful and advanced tool to help us interpret and interact with the world. It doesn’t really matter when in the year you are reading this blog, as there is a summer and winter solstice!

I am going to close with encouraging you to think about how ancient intelligence meets artificial intelligence and how they both shape our journey through time.