The Age of AI is a new exhibition exploring the development of artificial intelligence and its impact on our lives, which can be included during a school visit to Bletchley Park.
Schools heading to the historic Buckinghamshire attraction can now include this new temporary exhibition, open until April 2026, which looks at how artificial intelligence is a part of our lives today and how AI could affect our future.
Learners can discover the origins of AI in World War Two codebreaking and its potential to transform our world and the ethical questions it raises.
Visiting schools will be introduced to the topic with initial concepts and definitions of artificial intelligence from pioneers of technology, including Alan Turing, before moving on to looking at the Bletchley Declaration, developed at the world’s first AI Safety Summit, hosted by the UK Government at Bletchley Park in November 2023. The full declaration on display for visitors to read.
There are hands-on exhibits, including an interactive quiz which gets you to distinguish between real-life and AI-generated content, along with a display which uses AI to recreate voices.
Case studies are located around the walls of the building, looking at different uses of AI, including within the creative industries such as TV and music and for medical developments. Another section focusses on how AI has been presented in TV and film, including Terminator, Black Mirror and Doctor Who, contributing to fears about its potential to negatively impact humanity.
The centrepiece of the exhibition is a timeline looking at the development of AI, from its early use in the Turing machine, to modern advances like ChatGPT. Touchscreen monitors allow visitors to look at the areas of our lives which are influenced by AI, including in streaming, smart-home software and search engines.
What else can schools do during a visit?
A school trip to Bletchley Park would not be complete without exploring the buildings on site and learning about the codebreakers who lived and worked there during World War Two.
Free multimedia guides are an excellent options as they allow learners to see the buildings and find out about the role of the people who worked there at their own pace.
Guided tours provide insightful information about the development of the estate and the work done there, from 185 people in 1939 at the outbreak of the war, to more than 8,900 staff by January 1945.
School groups visiting are able to choose from three options:
- Option A: includes a learning session, guided tour, time to explore Bletchley Park and optional shop visit.
- Option B: includes a learning session and time to explore Bletchley Park.
- Option C: is for those who only wish to explore Bletchley Park.
For more information about the exhibition, click here.
For more information about school visits and to book, go to: bletchleypark.org.uk/learning
