Lesson video

Hello, my name's Mrs. James and welcome to computing.

I'm so pleased that you decided to join me for the lesson today.

In today's lesson, you'll be exploring being a critical user of AI tools.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit: Using AI and digital tools responsibly.

This lesson is called Being a critical user of AI tools.

And by the end of today's lesson, you will be able to apply your knowledge of AI risks and benefits to create a set of guidelines for responsible use.

Shall we make a start?

Okay, today's lesson has four different keywords.

Artificial intelligence or AI.

Artificial intelligence are computer systems that adjust their outputs based on data or follow rules to perform complex tasks.

Critical user.

A critical user is a user who makes well-informed judgments about digital content and systems, questioning their reliability and bias before accepting them.

Bias.

Bias is when something is unfair towards or against something or someone.

Echo chamber.

An echo chamber is a space online or offline where you are only exposed to like-minded content or opinions.

This lesson contains two sections.

The first section is titled Summarize key risks and benefits of AI tools.

And the second section is called Design a guide for responsible use.

This lesson is a summary of the previous lesson.

So if you have completed the lessons before this, you should see some of these slides are quite familiar.

Let's get started.

AI tools are everywhere.

Which AI tools do you use a lot?

Do you use image background removers?

Do you use productivity tools to help you write emails or documents?

Do you see a for-you recommendation when you use a social media app or video streaming service?

Do you use predictive text when you're writing a text message?

Do you use a voice assistant such as Alexa or Siri?

And do you use smart navigation guidance to find your way to a different town?

Or you might use adaptive learning tools which can help you learn topics that you might be unsure of?

AI tools offer significant benefits such as speeding up research and helping with creative tasks like image generation.

However, these benefits can come with costs that are not always visible.

Some benefits of AI tools: speed of finding information, speed of communication, many of the tools are free, they're easy to access, they can be easy to use, you have access to a wide range of knowledge, you can summarize complex information quickly, you can allow multiple people to collaborate.

Okay, first question of this lesson.

Which of the following is a benefit of AI tools?

Is it A, they are always 100% accurate and never produce biased or unfair information?

B, they use very little electricity and have no environmental impact?

C, they can process large amounts of data quickly to help with research and creative tasks?

D, they have real feelings and can become a genuine friend to the user?

Take a moment to read through those four options again and choose your answer.

Let's take a look at the answer.

If you chose C, they can process large amounts of data quickly to help with research and creative tasks, then really well done.

Okay, here are some risks of AI tools: high energy and resource use, there's a risk of addiction or less human connection, they can produce inaccurate or biased information, they can influence your choices or opinions, they mostly require access to the internet, there is unequal access to some of the more advanced AI systems.

So we discuss some of the risks here.

We're gonna look at a few in more detail.

What are the environmental risks of AI tools?

Sam says, "Data centers require huge amounts of electricity to run and water to keep them cool.

" Sofia says, "AI queries use much more water and electricity than traditional web searches.

" And Alex says, "Building data centers uses land and resources, and disrupts local communities.

" What are the risks of unhealthy digital friendships?

Sam says, "Treating a chatbot as if it has feelings.

" Sofia says, "Choosing to interact with an AI chatbot instead of real life friends.

" Alex says, "Unlike humans, chatbots cannot offer genuine empathy.

" What are the risks of AI bias?

Sam says, "AI systems can produce results that are unfair.

" Sofia says, "AI tools trained on past data can continue patterns of favoring one group.

" And Alex says, "AI can default to biased assumptions, such as linking specific genders to certain jobs.

" What are the risks of echo chambers?

Sam says, "Only seeing similar opinions leading to difficulty seeing the 'full truth.

'" Sofia says, "Content is often shaped by advertising goals rather than accuracy.

" And Alex says, "Assuming information is true simply because the AI system repeats it.

" Okay, another question.

Which of the following is a risk of AI tools?

A, they are capable of independent human thought and have their own feelings?

B, they have no impact on the environment and use very little energy?

C, they always provide perfectly accurate information that does not need checking?

And D, they can produce biased or unfair results based on patterns in their training data?

Have a moment and look through those four options and decide which one is a risk of AI tools.

Let's take a look at the answer.

If you chose D, they can produce biased or unfair results based on patterns in their training data, then really well done.

The AI balancing act.

Every time you use an AI tool, you make a choice.

You gain efficiency and creativity, but there are hidden impacts you must consider.

Efficiency versus the environment.

AI tools are fast, but prompting a single AI output can use as much electricity as running an LED light bulb for several hours.

Creativity versus originality.

AI can generate images quickly, but it uses patterns from existing work, which can lead to plagiarism if not handled carefully.

Connection versus reality.

Chatbots are designed to be helpful, but they are computer systems that do not have real feelings.

Okay, this is the first task of this lesson.

Jacob uses an AI chatbot to write a history essay.

The essay looks accurate and uses complex words, but it includes a fact about a war that never happened.

Write a paragraph discussing if the time Jacob saved is worth the risk of submitting incorrect information.

How does this affect Jacob's credibility?

Take a moment and really think about this answer and have a go at writing the answer for this.

Okay, let's have a look at an example of student response.

In my opinion, the time Jacob saved isn't worth it because the information he submitted was wrong.

Even though the essay looked accurate, the AI chatbot just followed patterns and didn't actually check if the facts were true.

This really hurts Jacob's credibility.

Now his teacher won't be able to trust anything he hands in.

He should have been a more critical AI user by evaluating the output and checking it against a good history source to make sure it was right.

Okay, moving on to the second section of this lesson now called Design a guide for responsible AI use.

What is a critical user?

Well, a critical user is one who makes well-informed judgments about digital content and systems, questioning their reliability and bias before accepting them.

A critical user can make informed decisions about their use of AI.

They consider the benefits of using the AI tools balanced against the risks of using them.

Aisha says, "I'm a critical user of AI.

For a simple search, I make sure I use a standard search engine rather than AI tools to save energy and water.

" Andeep says, "I'm a critical user of AI.

I regularly review my feed to check I'm following a wide range of viewpoints to avoid an echo chamber.

" Okay, next question.

Select the advice that a critical user would choose to avoid over-reliance on chatbots.

A, if you're worried or lonely, seek out a real person; B, only tell a chatbot your secret thoughts; C, choose a different chatbot if it doesn't agree with you.

Take a look through those options and see which one you think answers the question.

If you chose answer A, if you're worried or lonely, seek out a real person, then really well done.

Sofia says, "I'm a critical user of AI.

I regularly check to see if the outputs I'm getting contain diverse results, free from bias.

" Lucas says, "I'm a critical user of AI.

If I'm using a chatbot, I never share my personal information with it.

" Next question.

Why should you check AI generated facts against a secondary source?

Is it A, to make the AI work faster next time?

B, to ensure the information is reliable?

C, because AI tools are not allowed to be used for schoolwork?

D, to help the AI learn how to speak more like a human?

Take a look at those options and decide which one is correct.

Okay, let's take a look at the answer.

If you chose B to make sure the information is reliable, then really well done, you're correct.

Okay, the critical user checklist.

So in the first category, this is spotting information risks.

So we've titled them break the echo chamber.

Deliberately search for different perspectives to balance your feed and provide diverse data to the algorithm.

Identify the nudge.

Question why a specific post was recommended to you.

Algorithms often prioritize controversial or angry content so that you maximize your screen time.

Verify, don't assume.

Check surprising facts against reliable non-AI sources like a textbook or a credible news website.

And watch for bias.

Ask who is missing or who is harmed to see if the AI system is trained on unfair stereotypes or unbalanced training data.

The next category we've called managing digital boundaries.

Remember the code.

Chatbots predict language patterns to simulate empathy.

They do not actually have feelings or understand how you feel.

They are just programs.

Keep secrets private.

Never share personal details, addresses, or private feelings as your conversations are stored and can be accessed by developers.

And thirdly, prioritize real people.

Use AI for tasks like brainstorming, but seek out friends, parents, or teachers for a genuine emotional support.

The third category is called making power smart choices.

Use the right tool.

For simple facts, like the capital city of a country, use a standard search engine rather than an energy-hungry generative AI tool.

Respect the environment.

Be aware that one AI query uses 10 times more electricity and up to 80 times more water than a traditional web search.

Human judgment first.

Always use your own logic and emotions to make the final decision.

These are things that AI tools simply do not have.

Andeep says, "Now I've completed this lesson, I'm fully aware of all the risks and benefits of AI tools.

" Sofia replies, "AI literacy is more like an adaptable mindset that evolves as new technologies and AI systems emerge.

We've got to stay alert as new ways of using AI are invented.

" We want you to design a guide for pupils about responsible AI use.

Consider the areas of environmental impact, bias, chatbots, and echo chambers.

What do you think other pupils need to know?

We'd like you to make an informative poster or a document that highlights the important points on the critical user of AI checklist.

So have a think, look back over the previous slides.

Try and make the poster engaging and eye catching so that students will remember the points on it, and it'll also help you remember the key things on that checklist.

Have a go, and I can't wait to see what you produce.

Right, let's have a look at an example.

Okay, so this is Alex.

He's saying, "I used AI to create my poster.

" Well, that's what it's there for.

It's quite good for creative ideas.

There is a poster with lots of bright colors called My Responsible AI Checklist, and there are eight boxes on there with various items from our responsible AI user checklist called things like Verify the Facts, Spot the Bias, Watch the Wattage, Protect your Privacy, Keep a Human in the Loop, Escape the Echo Chamber, Chatbots are Tools Not Friends, and Own Your Work.

Just have to hope that Alex has checked any facts and spelling in this poster because AI isn't always accurate.

Well, this has been a really fun set of lessons to present, and I hope you've enjoyed them.

To summarize this lesson, being a critical user of AI involves evaluating the reliability of outputs and checking for signs of bias or inaccuracy.

Responsible digital use means balancing the benefits of AI tools with an awareness of their environmental and social costs.

Designing guidance for others helps build understanding of how to stay critical and responsible online.

Really well done forgetting so far, I hope you've enjoyed it and learned a lot about being responsible user of AI.

Well done.