Google Research and the Stanford Accelerator for Learning have launched “Polar Peaks”, the third entry in their AI Quests series, designed for students aged 11 to 14.
The project aims to show young learners how artificial intelligence functions and how to apply it responsibly. To date, more than 400,000 quests have been completed across 10 languages. Google is also releasing new training modules for teachers alongside the game.
Polar Peaks: Mapping the human brain
The first two quests focused on flood forecasting and eye disease detection, drawing on Google Research’s Flood Forecasting initiative and an AI model for diabetic retinopathy screening.
“Polar Peaks” takes students into neuroscience. The game follows a character suffering from memory loss. Learners scan and map brain neurons to understand the cause. They perform tasks like data cleaning and model testing.
These activities demonstrate that AI requires careful human oversight and critical thinking. The quest draws on over a decade of research in connectomics, the science of mapping neural networks in the brain.
Upon finishing, students hear from two researchers behind real-world breakthroughs. These include the recent mapping of the complete fruit fly brain, which holds the record for the largest brain map by neuron count.
Training modules: Tools for teaching AI literacy
Teachers play a critical role in bringing the quests to life and fitting them into their existing classroom curriculum. Google is rolling out dedicated training modules to help educators reinforce key AI literacy concepts.
These resources launch within the Google AI Educator Series. Modules for Quest #1 and #2 are currently accessible. The training module for Quest #3 will follow next month.
Earlier this year, AI Quests won a 2026 Webby Award for AI Education, Learning & Training, and Best Global K–12 Learning Solution at the ETIH Innovation Awards. Google plans to continue working with educators and partners to bring more quests to more classrooms this school year.
