Wren lays twelve index cards on the library table, each naming a system at Harbor Point. "Before we review SH-1, we should practice telling AI from ordinary software."
Comet scoops up the hallway light card. "It has a sensor. AI, obviously!"
Wren raises an eyebrow. "What does the evidence say? Did a person write out the rule for every case, or does it produce its own outputs?"
Nova draws two boxes of light on the table: Fixed rules and AI system. "Would you like a hint?" she asks. "Read what each card does, not what it has."
Comet sets the card down slowly. "Fine. Reviewer, sort them with us."
In this course, fixed-rule software means a program that follows rules people wrote out for every case.
An AI system, by NIST's definition, produces outputs such as predictions, recommendations or decisions for a set of objectives, with some autonomy.
A sensor alone does not make a system AI. A hallway light can use a sensor and still follow one fixed rule.
Today you sort twelve made-up cards. For every AI card, you write its objective and its kind of output.
| Card | What the system does (made up for the story) |
|---|---|
| 1 Bell timer | Rings at the times printed on the bell schedule. |
| 2 Spelling checker | Underlines any word that is not on its word list. |
| 3 Hallway light | Turns on when its sensor detects motion, and off after five minutes. |
| 4 SH-1 Ask | Writes a new answer to any study question a student types. |
| 5 SH-1 Quiz | Writes a new practice quiz from notes a teacher uploads. |
| 6 SH-1 Check | Marks a student's answer right or wrong, even when it is worded in a new way. |
| 7 Grade-book average | Averages the scores a teacher types in, using the formula the teacher chose. |
| 8 Book recommender | Suggests a next book for each reader from patterns in past borrowing. |
| 9 Door lock | Opens when someone taps an ID card whose number is on the approved list. |
| 10 Turnstile counter | Adds one to a count each time the gym turnstile turns. |
| 11 Bus-arrival sign | Predicts how many minutes until the bus arrives from where the bus is now. |
| 12 Hallway thermostat | Predicts when the hall will be busy and decides to warm it early. |
| AI card | Objective | Kind of output |
|---|---|---|
| 4 SH-1 Ask | ||
| 5 SH-1 Quiz | ||
| 6 SH-1 Check | ||
| 8 Book recommender | ||
| 11 Bus-arrival sign | ||
| 12 Hallway thermostat |
| What the lab shows | True or false? |
|---|---|
| A system with a sensor is always an AI system. | ? |
| The grade-book average follows a formula a person chose. | ? |
| SH-1 Quiz makes content, so it is generative AI. | ? |
| The door lock decides who gets in using rules nobody wrote. | ? |
Excellent sorting, reviewer. Tomorrow the crew asks why AI brings risks that ordinary software does not.