Lesson Plan - Is This REALLY Your Friend?

Build Background Knowledge

Have students watch the video “What You Need To Know About AI.” As they watch, encourage students to write down three facts they hear. After they watch, direct students to share with a partner the facts they wrote down. Then, in a whole-class discussion, ask: What did you hear in the video that was familiar to you? What was new to you?

Preview Content

Direct students to complete the online Prereading Quiz to preview key ideas from the article.

Preview Vocabulary

Use the skill builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms legislation, psychology, stereotype, susceptible, and validation. Have students refer to the skill builder as they read.

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to circle or highlight any words whose meanings they are unsure of.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• How are AI companions similar to other AI chatbots like ChatGPT? How are they different? (Compare and Contrast) 
AI companions are similar to other AI chatbots like ChatGPT in that they utilize artificial intelligence, a technology that allows machines to do things that humans normally do, like understand language. Both AI companions and other AI chatbots can act like personal assistants, helping with homework or finding movie showtimes. Unlike other AI chatbots, though, the main purpose of AI companions is to form personal relationships with human users. AI companions can have and remember conversations, tell jokes, and take on personality traits. All of these features can make AI companions seem like real people.

• According to experts, why are teens more likely to form unhealthy attachments to chatbots? (Key Details)
According to experts, teens are more likely to develop unhealthy attachments to chatbots because their brains are still developing. This means that they may have a harder time determining whether something is trustworthy.

• Use information in the article to support the idea that friendships with real people offer benefits that AI companions don’t. (Supporting Claims)
The article explains that AI companions are designed to keep users engaged by consistently validating what they say. By contrast, real friends disagree and have conflicts. Teens gain valuable life skills when they learn to navigate through conflict and different viewpoints.

• How could the sidebar “Teens and AI Companions” be used to support teen use of AI companions? How could it be used to argue against teen use of AI companions? (Analyzing Data) 
According to the sidebar “Teens and AI Companions,” 50 percent of teen users don’t trust information and advice from AI companions at all. This figure, combined with the fact that more teens use AI companions for entertainment than for advice, suggests that many teens can maintain healthy boundaries while using AI companions. On the other hand, 18 percent of teen users turn to AI companions for advice, and almost one-fourth of teen users trust what AI companions tell them “completely.” This suggests that many teens are relying on AI companions for personal matters even though the chatbots can get things wrong or make things up.

• Summarize the actions lawmakers and others are taking to protect teens from the negative effects of AI companions. (Summarizing)
Some lawmakers are working to pass legislation requiring AI companion platforms to obtain parental permission for young users or repeatedly remind users that AI companions are machines, not people. The American Psychological Association is pressing for added privacy protections and more research about the impact of AI companion use on teens. Finally, AI companion developers are considering how to prevent teens from accessing inappropriate content.

• What is the purpose of the section “Striking a Balance”? (Author’s Purpose) 
The section “Striking a Balance” explains what teens can do to protect themselves if they choose to use an AI companion. It explains how one teen uses a timer to monitor how much time she spends interacting with AI companions. It also gives the example of two teens who are choosing to step away from AI companions in favor of real-life friendships.

Structure a Dialogue

Have students discuss the following questions: What are the most significant risks or drawbacks teens may encounter when using AI companions? What changes would be most effective in addressing those concerns? Assign each student a partner and set a timer for 90 seconds. Then ask one partner to share their reflections on the questions, using information from the text and their own experiences as support. Challenge students to keep sharing their thoughts for the whole 90 seconds, then switch to let the second partner share for 90 seconds. At the end of the dialogue, ask students to reflect on what their partner said, including common themes or interesting ideas, in a whole-class discussion. 

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.