Google Launches 'Polar Peaks' AI Quest to Teach Students Brain Mapping Using Artificial Intelligence

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Google introduces 'Polar Peaks,' an interactive AI Quest designed for 11 to 14-year-olds to explore neuroscience and AI literacy through mapping the human brain, accompanied by teacher training modules to support classroom learning.

Google Research, in collaboration with the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, has launched "Polar Peaks," the third installment in its AI Quests series. This new interactive educational game invites students aged 11 to 14 to step into the role of researchers using artificial intelligence to map neurons and explore brain function. "Polar Peaks" aims to educate young learners on AI literacy and responsible technology use while engaging them with real-world scientific challenges.

In the game, students assist in solving a character's memory loss by scanning and mapping neurons, learning important skills such as data cleaning and model testing. The experience emphasizes the necessity of human oversight when working with AI systems and fosters critical thinking. The quest draws inspiration from over a decade of research in connectomics, including Google's recent achievement of mapping a complete fruit fly brain—the most detailed brain map by neuron count to date.

This latest quest follows Google's previous AI Quests focused on flood forecasting and diabetic retinopathy detection, continuing the theme of applying AI to address significant societal issues. To support educators, Google is also releasing dedicated teacher training modules as part of the Google AI Educator Series. These resources aim to help integrate AI literacy lessons into classroom curricula effectively, with the training for "Polar Peaks" scheduled to become available shortly.

Since its inception, the AI Quests program has reached over 400,000 completed quests across 10 languages. The initiative has been recognized with the 2026 Webby Award for AI Education and other global learning solution awards. Google plans to expand the quests and deepen partnerships with educators to broaden AI literacy in schools worldwide.

By combining interactive gameplay with cutting-edge research insights, "Polar Peaks" offers a compelling way for young students to understand how AI supports neuroscience research and encourages responsible use of technology from an early age.