The emergence of Artificial Intelligence continues to transform education, communication, and everyday life, creating the need to equip communities with the literacy skills necessary to use AI effectively and responsibly. Rizal Technological University’s (RTU) College of Education (CEd) answered this call by launching an extension program, titled “AI Literacy Talks: Understanding AI Together”, on July 18, 2026. The program aimed to introduce the participating youth of Brgy. Pinagsama, Taguig City, to the fundamentals of AI, its real-world applications, and the ethical considerations in using the technology.
Through the implementation of the program, CEd faculty members and students sought to improve AI literacy, promote responsible digital citizenship, and encourage participants to utilize AI as a tool that supports learning, creativity, and productivity while maintaining critical thinking and ethical decision-making.
CEd Dean Dr. Wendelyn Samarita led the first interactive session, presenting an overview of how Artificial Intelligence works. As part of the demonstration, participants were instructed to write any number on a sheet of bond paper without revealing it to anyone. Using ChatGPT, a widely known Generative AI platform, Dr. Samarita explained the confidence level and possible reasoning behind the chosen number, illustrating that AI generates responses based on learned patterns and probabilities rather than reading a person’s thoughts.
The lesson proper followed with a discussion on “What is Artificial Intelligence and How AI Works.” Participants learned that AI refers to computer systems capable of performing tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. The student facilitator explained the AI workflow, including data collection, model training, prediction, evaluation, and continuous learning. Real-world applications of AI—including virtual assistants, recommendation systems, healthcare technologies, and generative AI tools—were also presented to help participants relate the concepts to their daily experiences.
Another student facilitator then discussed Digital Responsibility, Privacy, and Online Safety, highlighting the ethical use of AI technologies. Participants learned the importance of fact-checking AI-generated information, protecting personal data, respecting intellectual property, and using AI responsibly to support learning rather than replace human creativity and critical thinking. The discussion emphasized becoming responsible digital citizens who contribute positively to the online community.
A notable highlight of the program was the hands-on breakout activities where the participants actively applied their learning through exercises such as AI Photo Description and Analysis, AI Image Transformation, and AI Storytelling. Each group presented their outputs before the participants, explaining the AI tools they used, their creative process, and the advantages and limitations of AI in completing their tasks.
The program concluded with a classic paper-and-pencil assessment of the participants’ understanding of the topics discussed.
At a time when AI is seemingly taking the world by storm, it falls upon educators such as the CEd faculty and pre-service teachers to protect academic integrity and literacy through programs such as AI Literacy Talks. While AI remains an effective, efficient, and convenient tool in learning, students must learn how to responsibly harness its effectiveness in aiding their education.
The CEd faculty and pre-service teachers’ efforts reflect RTU’s unwavering commitment to quality education and innovation, as RTU continues to support initiatives such as AI Literacy Talks to ensure that the trajectory of education remains focused on human development, aided by technology.