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Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick joined students, teachers and officials from the School District of Philadelphia Wednesday morning to celebrate creative storytellers who were assisted by his artificial intelligence platform, Lumi.
“Every time I’m in Philly, the energy that y’all bring, the spirit, y’all inspire me. I love being here,” Kaepernick told students from Louis H. Farrell School, Richard R. Wright School and Clemente Roberto Middle School.
During the storytelling showcase, select students from the three schools presented the visual projects they developed with the help of the AI, adding their creative touches to stories about baseball player Jackie Robinson, Peter Pan, Typhoid Mary, the COVID-19 pandemic and the women’s suffrage movement.
Kaepernick highlighted how Lumi’s goal is to build agency in the students who use it and instill ownership and pride in their work.
“We don’t want them to just be consumers of content. We want them to be creators. We want them to be builders.” he said.
Kaepernick spent six seasons in the NFL as a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Along with helping the team to Super Bowl XLVII, he shot to national prominence in 2016 after kneeling during the playing of the national anthem, in protest of police brutality and racial inequality.
Chief Deputy Mayor Vanessa Garrett Harley praised Kaepernick for his activism and his continued philanthropy and work in his career after professional football.
“Thank you for demonstrating the importance of courage, conviction, and using your voice for something larger than yourself,” she said. “And then more importantly, rather than simply sharing your story, you’ve chosen to help other young people learn how to tell and share theirs.”
Kaepernick, the founder and CEO of Lumi, revealed the AI to Philly students and educators back in March, during National Reading Month. The school district’s partnership with Lumi is part of its Accelerate Philly five-year strategic plan. Garrett Harley said it was also a part of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Extended Day/Extended Year initiative.
“We’re making some significant progress and we’ve got an awful long way to go, but we’re going to get there together and we’re going to continue to get there with partners who help us to instill a love of reading,” School District Superintendent Tony Watlington said.
For Kaepernick, the project also offers students an opportunity to prepare for a future where artificial intelligence is more prevalent in their lives, and the potential pitfalls that may come with that.
“When we think about the future that we’re preparing them for, having the AI-ready skills is part of that. And not offloading cognitive ability, but using AI is something that can help push them further, help develop their creativity and voice further, and be a supporting partner in that process,” Kaepernick said.
