Author: Kate Arthur

  • Where is the Professional Order of Information Technology?

    My dad is a civil engineer. He graduated from Leeds University in 1957 and, even at 89, he still proudly calls himself an engineer. He wears the Iron Ring, a silver band worn on the little finger to symbolize a lifelong commitment to professional ethics. It is a daily reminder to uphold high standards and…

  • Be-long-ing

    How to be, to long, and to belong, when AI keeps getting in the way I spend a lot of time with young people. (I swear it keeps me young!) Whether through the everyday chaos of our home, with my daughters and their friends spending time around my kitchen table, mentoring through tech programmes, or…

  • Counting Change

    (& not the kind found between sofa cushions) December always invites reflection. It’s also the month in which I’ve made some of the most significant changes in my career. This December marks two years since I stepped down as CEO of the educational charity I founded, Digital Moment / Kids Code Jeunesse, after eleven years. It’s…

  • Literacy in Context

    Excerpt from my book, Am I Literate? Redefining Literacy in the Age of AI Literacy means more than knowing how to read and write; it is an understanding of how we interact with the world around us and our active role in shaping it. It is how we share with others—how we express our experiences,…

  • The Gender Gap in STEM Isn’t a Women’s Problem.

    It’s a Power one. A line from the G7 Leaders’ Statement on AI for Prosperity published in June 2025, has stayed with me: “We will drive economic growth, address talent shortages, and ensure equal opportunity, by encouraging girls…to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and increasing women’s representation in the AI talent pool…

  • Canada’s AI Taskforce: AI Literacy Policy Briefing document

    I wrote this brief in May 2025 and shared widely with government, NGO, and industry partners. Adding it here for everyone/ anyone to see and take ideas/ recommendations that might bring together a collective voice: National AI Literacy Strategy for Canada and Global AI leadership Literacy has long been the cornerstone of democratic participation, economic…

  • Algorithm to Adulthood: Becoming an Adult in an AI world 

    I’m working on my next book, Algorithm to Adulthood: Becoming an Adult in an AI World (working title). If you, or someone you know, is 18–25, please share the anonymous survey below to help guide my research. SURVEY Why this book, now? After writing Am I Literate: Redefining Literacy in the Age of AI, dozens of young people reached…

  • My Keynote Speech – UNESCO International Literacy Day

    On September 8 2025, I delivered the keynote at UNESCO in Paris for International Literacy Day, joining UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini (UNESCO September 8 2025) There is not a time that I can recall when I could not read or write. A sign of privilege—tied to my access to education, one that…

  • Could AI deregulation Kill Innovation?

    (photo: United Nations HQ) This week, I was mentoring a team of US-based university students preparing to submit a paper for the 2025 ACM FAccT Conference (Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency). They’re diving into the complex world of intellectual property and AI governance in the United States—not the easiest of topics. Their paper was…

  • Is (AI)Literacy the same as (AI) Education?

    Short answer: no — but both are essential for healthy & inclusive societies. (image: Brief History of Printing Press) I wanted to spend a bit of time digging into the meaning of two words that are often used interchangeably but don’t actually mean the same thing. The reason I wanted to focus on literacy and…