Author: Jasena Christova, 125 Boyan Penev Secondary School
Start date 4/4/2021
End date 4/20/2021
Beneficiaries: students in 10th and 11th grade
Activity: Far from science fiction, AI is becoming an increasingly common part of our daily lives. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we live.
Think of artificial intelligence and the first thing that comes to mind for most is a machine that can walk, talk, think and most importantly, make decisions the way people do. And while we may be decades away from the things we see in future developments or movies, how to deny the presence of AI all around us. AI is found in many forms. For example, many people talk to their phones or virtual assistants. The car I bought recently has features like an automatic brake, reads the speed signs and warns me if I drive too fast. All of these are examples of how machine automation takes on the role of intelligent people and can therefore be seen as a form of intelligence.
The term cognitive intelligence is increasingly spoken and used. The idea is for intelligent machines to analyze, theorize and update like us.
We monitor our environment; we appreciate it and have an idea of how to react to it. Then we try this idea and if it doesn’t work the way we expect, we try something else. This interactive cycle of observation and learning is what distinguishes mechanized behavior from AI.
Procedure: The session was realized within the subjects “Project Design”, “Artificial Intelligence”, “Career Development” in 10th and 11th grade.
Preparation and presentation of student work related to the use of software and technological “smart” applications in everyday life. The session is divided into three parts:
- Presentation of own ideas and researches about the advantages and / or disadvantages of coexistence with “smart” machines. Each participant has chosen the format and method of reporting.
- Conversation with specialists in the field of psychology, programming and bionics. In the second part of the session, short interviews with professionals in the field of STEM technologies were presented. The team that was working on the interviews selected, implemented and organized the materials in advance. The students organized and conducted interviews with professionals and the questions were discussed in advance in class: What part of your work can be done by a robot? What part of your homework is performed by machines or devices with artificial intelligence?
- Debate between two teams on pre-asked questions on the topic and reporting the result by voting. In the third part, we hold a short debate on the topic: “Does my smart home have more advantages or disadvantages?” The session ended with reporting the result by voting and filling in a questionnaire based on the topic.
Duration: 80 minutes
Participants: Students – 35 (main group); Specialists – 3. The class is open and other representatives of the school community can attend. The training session was monitored and discussed by 9th grade students. They also took part in the vote.