Demystifying: what is AI? [Big Ed]

Teacher notes

This lesson introduces Ilya, Co-Founder and former Chief Scientist at Open AI. Some challenge prompts are included in teacher notes. The content in this lesson has been designed in partnership between Lyfta and The Big AI Project teacher team. **Learning objectives** Understand what AI is and where we encounter it in everyday life. Recognise that AI is real (not sci‑fi), appears in many technologies, and is changing quickly. Build initial vocabulary and practise asking curious, safe questions. **Questions & activities** Activity 1 - explore San Francisco scenes: use the Lyfta globe to visit scenes; notice/think/wonder and spot the AI‑generated server room. Watch - Meet Ilya: view the film; consider Ilya’s job, AI examples, and possible future impacts. Film reflections: discuss the three questions from the film prompt. Check‑in - Star ratings: pupils rate confidence/interest from ⭐ to ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Can you guess what’s next? Reflections and recap