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AI and You 9-12 / Week 11 / Explorer Quest
6/6
Week 11 · Humans in Charge

Explorer Quest

Explorer Quest: Who has the final say?
// Who has the final say, and how much to trust
⏱ about 20 min

Explorer Quest: Who Has the Final Say?

On Saturday, a timer beeps in Wren's kitchen. He switches it off and laughs.

"The timer said done, so I trusted it," he says. "But I still looked at the bread before taking it out."

Comet grins. "And the smoke alarm? You would never argue with that one."

"No," Wren agrees. "Some tools should have the final say. Some should only give a second opinion."

Nova hovers between them. "Would you like a hint?" she asks. "Ask what happens if the tool is wrong, and how fast a person could step in."

Comet turns to you. "Reviewer, try it with your family."

  1. Automation bias and over-reliance mean trusting AI too much. Algorithmic aversion means trusting it too little.
  2. Human roles in AI decisions must be clearly defined.
  3. Set-ups range from fully manual to fully automatic, with a second opinion in between.
  4. Some systems need human oversight and some do not.
◇ WHO HAS THE FINAL SAY?
Sit with a family member who has a few minutes to help.
Read the three examples in the table below together: a smoke alarm, a kitchen timer and a map's suggested route.
For each one, decide together: should the tool have the final say, or should a person?
For each one, ask: what happens if the tool is wrong? How fast could a person step in?
Then think of two more tools or rules in your home or town and decide the same thing for each.
Talk about one tool where your family disagreed, and why.
Tool or ruleWhat happens if it is wrong?Final say: tool or person?
Smoke alarmA false alarm is a nuisance; a missed one could be seriousYour choice
Kitchen timerThe food may be over or under doneYour choice
A map's suggested routeYou might take a longer or closed roadYour choice
For a grown-up
This quest needs no device, only talk and paper.
Ask: when do we trust a tool without checking, and when do we look for ourselves?
There are no wrong family answers. The reasons are what matter.
QUEST CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
A map suggests a route, and you see the road ahead is closed. Who should have the final say?
Which rung is "a tool gives advice and a person decides"?
Trusting a tool so much that you never check it is called what?
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