A Peterborough teenager has been named as a runner-up in the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge - Amazon’s UK-wide AI coding contest – by designing a first aid Alexa skill.

Competition judges included TV presenter and STEM education advocate Carol Vorderman and computing prodigy and Stemettes founder Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon

                                                           

Roland Christopher, a pupil at The King’s School on Park Road, created an Alexa Skill called ‘Emergency Response Guide’ that aims to takes users through the stages of the primary survey when treating an unresponsive casualty.

He used the knowledge gained as a St John Ambulance cadet at the Peterborough school.

Roland’s Alexa Skill saw him named as one of the runners-up in the national competition in the 13-14 age group.

Competition entries were picked by a judging panel including STEM advocate Carol Vorderman, computing prodigy Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, YouTuber and computer science graduate Tobi Brown, and Lauren Kisser, Amazon technology director and UK ambassador for Amazon Future Engineer.

Roland created an Alexa Skill that saw him win a £500 Amazon voucher for his school, as well as a £250 Amazon voucher for him to use personally.

His skill features tools that informs Alexa that someone is not breathing or responding and the skill guides the user through checking for responsiveness and breathing, leading them to perform CPR and even providing a placeholder location for an AED.

Speaking after his impressive performance in the UK-wide competition, Roland said:

“Participating in the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge allowed me to not only refine my programming skills but also provided me with a deeper understanding of the importance of first aid and emergency response. I hope this highlights the importance of early intervention in emergencies.”

To enter the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge, students across the UK were invited to follow a free online learning programme with curriculum-linked lesson plans and resources, created by Amazon to support the development of AI learning in UK classrooms and STEM clubs.

Computer science and AI related roles could contribute £71 billion a year to the UK economy to 2030, according to research commissioned by Amazon from Capital Economics, with demand for jobs that require computer science, AI or machine learning skills expected to increase by 40 per cent over the next five years.

In order to have enough AI talent in the UK workforce to fill these jobs, students need to experience some form of AI-based learning during secondary school. 

 “We were blown away by the innovation and imaginative thinking that was evident in many of the entries we received for the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge,” said Lauren Kisser.