Students use an AI image generator to create a picture that represents something important about who they are. They compare the AI image with their real experiences and reflect on what the AI gets right or wrong.
AI image generators are trained on pictures from the internet. That means they often show what’s “popular,” not what’s real for everyone. In this activity, students will see how AI pictures might get things wrong about their lives, homes, or schools. This helps us ask: Who does the AI think we are? And how can we build a classroom where everyone feels seen?
Instructions
- Think of a place, person, or moment that shows something important about who you are. (This could be your home, a favorite spot in your community, a family tradition, or even your dream classroom.)
- Go to an AI image generator like Bing Image Creator or DALL·E.
- Type a description of your idea as a prompt. (Example: “A quiet desert school with adobe walls, near the border, under a sunset sky”)
- Let the AI generate your image.
- Look closely at what the AI made. Save or screenshot your image.
- In your journal (paper or digital), answer:
- What did the AI get right?
- What did it miss or change?
- What does this show about how AI “sees” people like you?
- Share your image (if you feel comfortable) with the class.
- What patterns do you notice in everyone’s images?
Conscientization
Reading the world through this activity
- What did the AI leave out of your image?
- What parts felt wrong, strange, or not like your real life?
- What does the AI seem to think is “normal” for people your age or in your area?
- Who do you think the AI was trained to understand best?
Praxis
Reflection leading to transformation
- What might happen if people only saw your community through AI images like these?
- How could that shape how others understand or treat your school or town?
- What can we do to make sure real stories and places aren’t erased by AI?
- What message would you send to the people who build these AI tools?
Dialogue
Ongoing discussion
- Share your image and reflections with a classmate or small group.
- What patterns do you notice in how the AI changed or misunderstood your ideas?
- Did the AI make the same kinds of mistakes for everyone?
- How can we support each other in making sure our stories are heard and respected — in school and in technology?