Lesson 3: Types of AI - Narrow vs. General (1 hour)

Learning Objectives

• Distinguish between narrow AI and general AI
• Understand current state of AI (all narrow AI)
• Identify examples of each type
• Discuss the possibility of general AI

Materials Needed

• Venn diagram or comparison chart
• Examples of narrow AI systems
• Video clips or demos of AI systems
• Student notebooks

Time Breakdown

• Review (5 min)
• Introduction to narrow vs. general AI (20 min)
• Classification activity (20 min)
• Discussion: Can we achieve general AI? (10 min)
• Reflection (5 min)

Activities

1. Review Previous Lessons (5 min)

• Quick quiz: Name 3 AI systems you've learned about
• What is AI?

2. Narrow vs. General AI (20 min)

• Narrow AI (ANI - Artificial Narrow Intelligence):
  • Designed for specific tasks
  • Examples: Chess-playing AI, spam filters, voice assistants, image recognition
  • Current state: All AI today is narrow AI
  • Can be superhuman at one task but can't do other tasks
• General AI (AGI - Artificial General Intelligence):
  • Can perform any intellectual task a human can
  • Can learn and adapt to new situations
  • Examples: None exist yet! (Science fiction: HAL, Data, JARVIS)
  • Hypothetical: Would be as capable as humans across all domains
• Superintelligence (ASI):
  • Hypothetical AI smarter than humans in all areas
  • Brief mention for older students

3. Hands-On: Classification Activity (20 min)

• Present 10 AI systems and scenarios
• Students classify each as Narrow AI or General AI:
  1. Chess computer (Narrow)
  2. ChatGPT (Narrow - despite versatility, still specialized)
  3. Self-driving car (Narrow)
  4. Medical diagnosis AI (Narrow)
  5. Robot that can do any human task (General - hypothetical)
  6. Language translation app (Narrow)
  7. AI that passes Turing Test (Could be narrow or general - discuss!)
  8. Recommendation systems (Narrow)
  9. AI research assistant (Narrow)
  10. Autonomous robot that learns new tasks (Moving toward general - discuss!)
• Discuss edge cases and why classification matters

4. Discussion: The Future of General AI (10 min)

• Do you think we'll achieve general AI? When?
• What would general AI need to be able to do?
• What are the benefits and risks?
• Should we try to create general AI?
• Record student opinions and predictions

5. Reflection Journal (5 min)

• Write: "What is the difference between narrow and general AI? Do you think we'll achieve general AI in your lifetime? Why or why not?"

Differentiation Strategies

• Younger students: Focus on clear examples, use simple analogies (specialized tool vs. general-purpose tool)
• Older students: Explore philosophical implications, discuss consciousness, examine arguments for/against AGI possibility
• Struggling learners: Use more visual examples, simplified definitions
• Advanced learners: Research current AGI research, explore theories of consciousness and intelligence

Assessment

• Accurate classification in activity
• Participation in discussion
• Quality of reflection journal entry
• Understanding demonstrated through questions

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