The plan
Why?
<!-- /wp:heading -->| In this lesson, students will explore the capabilities and limitations of artificial intelligence by engaging two different AI chatbots in a conversation. They will learn about natural language processing and AI responsiveness by observing how different AI models interact with each other. This exercise will help students understand the practical applications and potential ethical considerations of AI technology. |
| Materials Needed | Time needed | ||||
| Computers/Tablets: One device per student or pair of students, each with internet access and links to two different AI chatbot services (such as ChatGPT and another AI like Claude, Google Gemini, Pi, or Perplexity) | Approximately 45 to 60 minutes | ||||
| Objectives | |||||
| - Students will be able to analyze the responses of different AI chatbots to understand how they process and generate language. |
- Students will be able to compare and contrast the conversational abilities of various AI technologies.
- Students will be able to discuss the implications of AI in everyday life and its ethical considerations.
- Students will be able to reflect on the interaction between different AI models and theorize about the underlying algorithms. | | | | | | | Key Concepts & Vocabulary | | | | | | | Artificial Intelligence (AI): The simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions.Chatbot: A software application used to conduct an on-line chat conversation via text or text-to-speech.Natural Language Processing (NLP): A branch of AI that gives machines the ability to read, understand, and derive meaning from human languages. | | | | | | | Lesson | | | | | | | * Briefly introduce the concept of AI and chatbots.
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Discuss the purpose of the activity and what students should expect to learn.
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Divide students into pairs and assign them to their computers.
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Provide a quick demonstration on how to interact with the chatbots and how to transfer responses from one to another. (Using copy and paste, take the text from one and paste it into the other, and then go back and forth.)
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Students start by asking the first chatbot a question. (Suggest ideas to the students, such as opinion questions or hypothetical scenarios:
- "What do you think are the benefits of renewable energy?"
- "In your opinion, what are the most important qualities of a good leader?"
- "Do you think space travel should be a priority for governments? Why or why not?"
- "Imagine you're an astronaut on Mars; what would a typical day look like for you?"
- "If you could change one major event in history, what would it be and why?"
- "How would the world be different if animals could talk?")Consider having them encourage the chatbot to both ask and answer questions so the other chatbot has something to respond to. (An example is shown at the end of the lesson plan.)* They then take the response and input it into the second chatbot, continuing the conversation back and forth for several exchanges.
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Students note any interesting observations.
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This process could be continued several times, with different chatbots.Consider having students prime the chatbots by “telling” them what the task is – “We will be having a conversation between you and another chatbot. Each comment you read will be written by the other chatbot. Try to ask and answer questions effectively.” Consider having students encourage brief answers from the chatbots. In the example below, the answers kept getting longer as the conversation went on.Convene as a class and discuss the findings. Encourage students to think about why the chatbots responded the way they did. | | | | | | | Discussion Questions | | | | | | | - What differences did you notice in how the two chatbots responded?
- Which chatbot seemed more "human-like" in its responses? Why?
- What does this activity tell us about the potential of AI in real-world applications?
- Did the chatbots’ answers start to get longer and longer as you went? Was there anything you could do to attempt to control this?
- How did the style of communication differ between the two chatbots? Can you give examples of responses that highlight these differences?
- Which chatbot was better at understanding and responding to complex questions? What makes you think so?
- Did either of the chatbots make any mistakes in understanding? What do these errors tell us about how AI interprets human language?
- Can you think of examples where AI like this could be helpful in real life? Are there situations where it might be problematic? | | | | | | | Supplemental Activity Ideas | | | | | | | Research Project: Assign students to research and present on different types of AI, focusing on their uses in various industries.Debate: Host a debate on the ethical implications of AI in society—students can argue for or against the use of AI in different fields such as healthcare, automotive, etc. | | | | | | | Sources to Learn More | | | | | | | Comparing AI chatbots: https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-ai-chatbot/Strengths and weaknesses of different AI chatbots: https://tech.co/news/best-ai-chatbots | | | | | |
