Societal and Ethical Impacts of AI

This unit examines ethical, social, and workforce implications of artificial intelligence with a focus on children and communities. Students investigate bias, manipulation, surveillance, lethal autonomous weapons, deepfakes, and future job impacts, and develop strategies for education, mitigation, and policy recommendations.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze examples of algorithmic bias, nudging, and deepfakes to identify sources of harm, affected stakeholders, and concrete mitigation strategies for use in K–12 learning contexts
• Evaluate ethical, legal, and safety concerns related to lethal autonomous weapons and AI-enabled surveillance and propose evidence-based design or policy measures to reduce risk
• Assess the potential effects of AI on future employment—including job displacement, new roles, and the idea of human-only jobs—and craft communication or career-preparation approaches for students
• Demonstrate age-appropriate instructional strategies and privacy safeguards to teach children about AI that foster critical thinking, digital resilience, and responsible use