Should Robots Think For Us?
AI can write essays, create art, and drive cars. But should it? And what happens when it goes wrong?
Is artificial intelligence good or dangerous?
AI is already changing the world. The question isn't whether it will affect your life -- it's how.
What Can AI Actually Do?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a type of computer program that can learn patterns and make decisions. It's not a robot with feelings -- it's maths and data. But it can do some incredible things.
Write Text
AI can write essays, stories, emails, and even code
Create Art
AI can generate images, music, and videos from descriptions
Drive Cars
Self-driving cars use AI to navigate roads
Diagnose Disease
AI can spot cancer in scans better than some doctors
Recommend Content
Netflix, YouTube, and TikTok use AI to suggest what you watch
Answer Questions
Chatbots can answer questions and have conversations
- • If AI can write an essay, should students still learn to write? Why?
- • If AI creates a painting, who is the artist -- the AI or the person who typed the description?
- • Have you ever used AI? What for?
What SHOULD AI Be Allowed to Do?
Just because AI can do something doesn't mean it should. This is the difference between capability and ethics.
Most people agree AI SHOULD:
Help doctors find diseases earlier, assist disabled people, predict natural disasters, speed up scientific research
People DISAGREE about whether AI should:
Write students' homework, create art that replaces human artists, decide who gets a job, drive all cars
Most people agree AI should NOT:
Decide if someone goes to prison, create deepfake videos to spread lies, control weapons without human oversight
Will Robots Replace Humans?
Throughout history, new technology has always changed the types of jobs people do. Cars replaced horse-drawn carriages. Computers replaced typewriters. Will AI replace even more jobs?
Jobs AI Might Replace
- • Factory workers (robots already build cars)
- • Truck drivers (self-driving trucks)
- • Some customer service roles (chatbots)
- • Data entry and basic accounting
Jobs AI Probably Can't Replace
- • Teachers (human connection matters)
- • Nurses and carers (empathy is essential)
- • Creative problem-solvers
- • Skilled tradespeople (plumbers, electricians)
- • If AI can do a job faster and cheaper, is it fair to replace human workers?
- • What happens to the people who lose their jobs to AI?
- • What job do you want when you grow up? Could AI do it?
When AI Gets It Wrong: Bias
AI learns from data -- information created by humans. If that data contains biases (unfair patterns), the AI will learn those biases too.
Real Examples of AI Bias
Hiring AI that rejected women
A major tech company built an AI to screen job applications. It learned from past hiring data where mostly men were hired, so it started rejecting women's applications.
Facial recognition that misidentified people
Some facial recognition AI was trained mostly on white faces, making it much less accurate at identifying people with darker skin.
Healthcare AI that ignored patients
A healthcare AI recommended less care for Black patients than white patients with the same conditions, because it was trained on biased historical data.
- • If AI makes a mistake, who is responsible? The programmer? The company? The AI itself?
- • Can AI ever be truly fair, or will it always reflect human biases?
- • Should there be laws about how AI is used? What rules would you create?
Key Vocabulary
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Computer programs that can learn, make decisions, and solve problems.
Algorithm
A set of step-by-step instructions that a computer follows to complete a task.
Bias
An unfair preference for or against something, often without realising it.
Ethics
The study of what is right and wrong, and how we should behave.
Accountability
Being responsible for your actions and their consequences.
Automation
Using technology to do tasks that were previously done by humans.
Knowledge Check
Think about each scenario carefully. These are the kinds of questions society is wrestling with right now.
Question 1
A student uses AI to write their entire history essay. They copy-paste it and submit it as their own work. What is the MAIN ethical problem with this?
Question 2
An AI hiring system rejects job applications from women because it was trained on data from a company that mostly hired men. What is this an example of?
Question 3
A self-driving car has to make a split-second decision: swerve to avoid a pedestrian and crash into a wall (risking the passenger), or keep going straight (risking the pedestrian). Who should the AI prioritise?
Question 4
AI replaces 500 factory jobs at a car manufacturer. The company says: "AI is faster, cheaper, and makes fewer mistakes." What is the STRONGEST counter-argument?
Question 5
Which statement BEST describes responsible AI use?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●AI can do amazing things, but just because it can doesn't mean it should.
- ●AI bias happens when AI learns unfair patterns from biased human data.
- ●AI may change many jobs, raising questions about fairness and responsibility.
- ●When AI makes a mistake, we need to ask: who is accountable?
- ●Responsible AI use means human oversight, checking for bias, and clear ethical rules.