Understanding AI, Chatbots, and Deepfakes
A lesson helping KS3 students understand how AI works, recognise AI-generated content, and use AI tools responsibly.
Overview
Artificial intelligence is now part of students' everyday lives — from the chatbots they use for homework to the recommendation algorithms in their social media feeds and the deepfake images they encounter online. This lesson builds practical AI literacy, helping students understand how these tools work, what they get wrong, and how to use them thoughtfully and safely.
Learning Objectives
- •Understand the basics of how AI language models and image generators work
- •Recognise the limitations of AI including hallucination, bias, and lack of understanding
- •Identify AI-generated images, videos, and text and understand why this matters
Activities
AI myth or reality
10 minutesStudents vote on whether statements about AI are myth or reality (e.g. 'AI understands what it writes', 'AI can create images of people who do not exist', 'AI-generated text is always accurate'). Discuss the correct answers, focusing on common misconceptions and why AI sounds confident even when it is wrong.
Spot the deepfake
15 minutesShow students a set of images, some real and some AI-generated. Students work in pairs to identify which are artificial, looking for telltale signs such as unusual hands, inconsistent lighting, distorted text, and unnatural skin texture. Discuss the implications for trust, evidence, and misinformation in a world where images can be fabricated convincingly.
Responsible AI use guidelines
20 minutesIn small groups, students draft a set of guidelines for responsible AI use at their school. Consider: when is it acceptable to use AI for schoolwork? What personal information should never be shared with a chatbot? How should AI-generated content be labelled? Groups present their guidelines and the class agrees on a shared set of principles.
Discussion Points
- •If an AI chatbot gives you an answer that sounds confident, how do you know whether to trust it?
- •What are the dangers of AI-generated images and videos being shared as if they were real?
- •Where is the line between using AI as a tool and relying on it to do your thinking?
Key Takeaways
- •AI is a powerful tool but it does not understand, think, or know what is true — always verify its output
- •AI-generated images and videos can be used to deceive — approach striking or shocking visual content with scepticism
This content is designed to support professionals in their safeguarding role. It does not replace your organisation's safeguarding policies or training requirements.
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Last reviewed: 2026-03-30