Discussing ethical challenges of AI in schools?
23.05.2022
From May 11 to 19, 2022, Julian Anslinger and Anita Thaler conducted five online workshops in 2 schools (HTL Mössingerstraße, Klagenfurt and HTL Braunau) with a total of 49 students between 16 and 18 years of age, on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. The goal was to adapt a didactical concept developed in the dAIalog.at project for schools in order to familiarize students with the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence (AI).
© Harald Grünanger
Based on a fictitious scenario in which school in 2050 is largely virtual and AI-based, the young people can first discuss their personal concerns and hopes, as well as values that are important to them in the field of education. After a short lecture on the current state of AI research, the students are gradually introduced to general ethical challenges in technology development and questions of how different stakeholders are affected, and finally discuss ways to mitigate these ethical problem areas of AI. Finally, the young people can be creative and develop storylines for what they see as the 'ideal school of the future'.
The feedback from 49 students and eight participating teachers was very positive. The interactive design was well received and the young people confirmed that the workshop stimulated them to think about ethics and that they had fun at the same time (read the short report from the HTL in Klagenfurt!).
Now Thaler and Anslinger are working on the final version of the didactical concept, as well as on the implementation of the materials, both for an online and a printable version for school.