Active learning ideas
This topic examines the intersection of technology and epistemology. As AI becomes a daily part of life, students must grapple with whether 'processing information' is the same as 'knowing.' This aligns with the NCCA Junior Cycle's focus on Digital Literacy and the key skill of 'Being Creative,' as students imagine the future of intelligence and its impact on human society.
Activity 01
One student acts as the 'AI' inside a box, receiving questions on slips of paper. They have a giant book of 'if/then' rules to provide answers but don't know the language of the questions. The class must decide: does the 'AI' actually know the answers?
Can a computer truly understand?
Activity 02
Divide the class into two sides. One side argues that AI can possess knowledge because it can provide accurate information; the other argues that knowledge requires consciousness and experience. Students must use specific examples like ChatGPT or self-driving cars.
What makes human intelligence unique?
Activity 03
In small groups, students give the same prompt to an AI image or text generator. They analyze the results for stereotypes or inaccuracies and discuss how the 'knowledge' provided by AI is limited by the data it was fed.
Will machines ever be conscious?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
If an AI gives the right answer, it 'knows' the topic.
Students often equate output with understanding. Using the 'Chinese Room' simulation helps them see that a machine can produce the correct result by following a code without having any internal understanding of the concepts involved.
AI is perfectly objective and neutral.
Many students believe computers can't be biased. By investigating how AI is trained on human-created data, students learn through peer analysis that AI often reflects and even amplifies human prejudices, making its 'knowledge' potentially flawed.
Methods used in this brief