From music and movie recommendation systems to digital assistants and facial recognition, systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI) surround us in our daily lives. Although these rapidly emerging AI technologies hold tremendous potential for improving lives, they also involve potential ethical risks related to bias and data privacy. 

In this NSF-funded project, we’re working to develop curriculum modules to support youth in exploring critical ethical issues related to emerging AI technologies. Through these modules, which can be delivered on their own or integrated in other STEM, computer science/robotics or English Language Arts classes, middle and high school age youth can explore what AI is, how machines learn from data, and how AI systems may carry the biases of their programmers. Using a combination of online activities, short stories, comics and design/Making projects, these curriulum modules dive into the technology that powers AI and explore the potential societal impacts of this rapidly expanding technology.

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant #1934151. Any opinions, findings and conclusions presented here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.