Advancing AI Literacy Lessons


Can AI Be Fair? Ethics, Bias, and Building Trust

Mathematics | 9-12
Duration: 60 minutes
Author: Sunaja Ajayan, Mathematics Teacher

In this lesson, students examine the ethical implications of AI systems and explore how bias and fairness impact decision-making. Through whole-class discussions, case studies, and reflection activities, students connect mathematical reasoning from previous lessons to real-world consequences of AI errors. They analyze scenarios where biased data leads to unfair outcomes and consider strategies for improving AI systems. The lesson concludes with an assessment that challenges students to articulate why humans must remain involved in AI decision-making and propose ways to reduce bias.

Lesson Objectives

  • Explain how bias in training data can lead to unfair AI decisions.
  • Analyze real-world examples of AI errors and their ethical implications.
  • Reflect on why humans should question AI outputs and remain involved in decision-making.
  • Propose strategies for reducing bias and improving fairness in AI systems.

Essential Questions

  • What ethical responsibilities do designers and users of AI systems have?
  • How can bias in data affect AI predictions and decisions?
  • Why is it important for humans to question and monitor AI outputs?
  • What strategies can make AI systems more fair and trustworthy?