What is Artificial Intelligence?

Time: 10-20 minutes

Opening activity: drawings

  • Draw something computers are better than people at doing
  • Draw something people are better than computers at doing
  • share pictures
    • hold up pictures
    • who sees something computers are better than people at doing?
      • why are computers are better at that?
    • who sees something humans are better than computers at doing?
      • why are humans are better at that?

Discussion: Can computers think?

  • What kinds of things can computers do well and what can they not do well?
  • Will they ever do things that make them seem human?
  • How could you tell if you were talking to a computer or a human?
    • Students may say, because the voice will sound robotic.
      • What about if you’re just typing text?
      • What about if they learn to sound just like us? Could you tell they are computers by what they say?
  • Does anyone know what it’s called when a computer can do things that humans are smart at doing?
    • Explain term “artificial intelligence”
      • “artificial”
        • means something invented, like a technology
        • opposite of “natural”
      • “intelligence”
        • means understanding things and being able use that understanding in a way that makes sense
  • Discussion questions to prompt thought:
    • Is a calculator intelligent?
    • Is a camera intelligent if it can tell where the faces are?
    • Is a dog intelligent if it can tell you’re friendly?
  • How could artificial intelligence malfunction?