AI Story: Code Orange

by Ellie Haberl; illustrated by Stuart Sachs

Summary:

Code Orange explores issues of data privacy in the context of a global pandemic. Should information about potential exposure be shared with your networks, in an effort to protect public health? 

AI Themes:

Data Privacy
Effective Chat-Bots

Read the Story:


Original version (word count: 1238)
Short version (word count: 979)

Download the Story:


Original version (pdf)
Short version (pdf)

Listen to the Story:


Code Orange Audio (5:08 minutes)

Discussion Prompts:

  1. What do you think about the idea of tracking people with cell phones and facial recognition?

  2. How do you feel about the use of cell phone location data to track the spread of a disease and benefit public health?

  3. How would you redesign the notification system in the story to achieve public health goals while minimizing risks to individual privacy?

  4. How can we balance safety and privacy in our attempt to end a pandemic? Which would you privilege?

Related Activities:

What is Empathy?

  1. If you have a friend who is sad, how do you respond to them?  What if they are angry?
  2. What words or what kind of body language might you use to make someone feel better?

Design a More Empathetic Chat-Bot using Juji.io

  1. Consider how you can make this robotic chatbot act more human, be more empathetic, and have more character.
  2. How can we design AI to be more compassionate and empathetic?