Active learning ideas
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer science fiction; it is a part of our daily lives. This topic explores the history of AI research, from the Turing Test to modern Large Language Models. Students investigate how AI can be used for good, but also the ethical risks it poses, such as algorithmic bias and the displacement of jobs.
Activity 01
One student acts as an AI that only knows what the class 'feeds' it. The class provides data about 'what a scientist looks like,' and they analyze if the resulting 'AI' is biased.
What are the historical milestones of AI research?
Activity 02
Students debate whether AI will create more jobs than it destroys. They must research specific industries like healthcare, transport, and the creative arts.
How might AI change the future of work and the economy?
Activity 03
Groups are given a scenario (e.g., an AI that decides who gets a bank loan) and must write a set of ethical guidelines to ensure the system is fair and transparent.
What ethical guidelines should govern AI development to prevent bias?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
AI is 'smart' like a human being.
Students often anthropomorphize AI. Use hands-on modeling to show that AI is actually just very complex pattern matching and probability, not 'thinking' in the human sense.
AI is always objective and neutral.
Many believe machines can't be biased. Peer-led investigations into biased facial recognition software help students see that AI often mirrors the flaws of its human creators.
Methods used in this brief
Data Privacy and Historical Precedents
Examine the history of data collection, from early censuses to modern big data, and the ethical implications for citizen privacy.
8 methodologies
Cybersecurity and Global Conflict
Investigate the rise of cybersecurity threats and how coding plays a critical role in modern international relations and conflict.
8 methodologies