Introducing the Lesson
- Students will gain a basic understanding of what artificial intelligence (AI) is, its prevalence in our lives, and its effects.
- Most people regularly interact with AI without even realizing it.
- AI technologies provide recommendations for what we should watch next on streaming services based on our viewing histories, suggest who we should follow on social media platforms, and unlock our devices through facial recognition.
- Governments and corporations worldwide are increasingly harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and predictive technologies to help solve some of society’s biggest problems.
- If unchecked and unaccountable, algorithms have the potential to discriminate and harm some of the most vulnerable members of society, deepening social and economic gaps and amplifying racial bias.
- AI has become a huge part of our everyday lives and the systems that shape them, and its influence will likely only grow.
- As a result, it’s important to have a basic understanding of what AI is, how it is used, and the positive and negative effects it produces.
- This understanding equips us to recognize the technology when we encounter it, and to leverage its potential benefits while calling out and challenging harmful usages.
In this lesson, students will explore, examine, and make connections to Pulitzer Center-supported and general reporting on AI (see Topical Resources tab). Extensive activities ask students to engage with the reporting and consider the impact of AI in their local communities and industries.
