Code.org rebrands as CodeAI, shifting focus to AI education
Code.org, the Seattle-based computer science platform, rebranded as CodeAI on Tuesday to reflect its two-year shift toward AI for Education. The move formalizes what the organization has been building: a curriculum centered on how AI works rather than traditional coding.
Hadi Partovi, co-founder of the platform, said the change reflects where computer science education needs to go. "Today, the focus is AI - learning how AI works, learning how to create technology, learning how to problem solve using AI, and most importantly, learning to be a responsible citizen in the age of AI," he said in a video message.
The numbers behind the shift
CodeAI reaches 150 million students and 3 million teachers globally. The platform has facilitated 232 million student projects since its 2013 founding. It's backed by nearly $60 million in funding from Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and The Ballmer Group.
The rebrand includes renaming "Hour of Code" to "Hour of AI," an online learning event that has reached 33 million students. More than 75,000 students have already taken AI Foundations, a free high school course covering how AI works, computational thinking, data literacy, and ethical implications.
What educators need to know
Karim Meghji, who became president and CEO in February, is leading the new direction. He joined Code.org in 2022 as chief product officer and previously worked as CTO at Seattle remittance company Remitly.
Meghji framed the work as closing a knowledge gap. "AI has made the doing easy. Protecting critical thinking, and giving kids the knowledge to question this technology and decide what it's for, is the work of education now," he said.
A survey released Tuesday by CodeAI found that 84% of high school students already use AI tools. Yet only 16% of high school leaders report that all their students are learning about AI in school.
Students recognize the gap themselves. Seventy-five percent of high school students believe AI fluency will be more important than other subjects in their future. Sixty-three percent say it's directly tied to their readiness for life beyond school.
Broader policy shifts
CodeAI has led development of a framework guiding state-level implementation of digital science policy. All 50 states have now passed policies based on this framework, with application extending globally.
Partovi, now chairman, argued that AI literacy matters regardless of career path. "Nobody knows the jobs of the future, but a sure bet is that every job will involve AI," he said. "We have a responsibility to prepare the next generation for the biggest change in society since the invention of public education."
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