We talk a lot about AI literacy but that’s only part of the equation. The other, equally important piece is how to use AI in ways that are ethical, responsible, and safe.
Right now, the techno-centric perspective dominates. Teachers and educators are constantly asking: Which tools should I use? When should I use them? But the discourse needs to shift. The more urgent question is how.
This is where Critical AI Literacy (CAL) comes in. By CAL, I mean more than just knowing how to use AI tools efficiently. It’s about understanding their limitations, questioning their outputs, and leveraging them in ways that respect the dignity, privacy, and safety of all users.
To help move the conversation forward, I’ve put together a quick guide with hands-on classroom strategies that show how AI can be used critically as a tool for inquiry, analysis, and creative learning .
1. Search Smarter: ChatGPT vs. Google
Students often treat ChatGPT as if it were a search engine, but its outputs differ in important ways from Google or Bing. A simple classroom activity is to have students research the same topic using both tools, then compare results side by side.
Ask them:
- What kind of information does each tool prioritize?
- Are there differences in depth, tone, or bias?
- Which one provides better summaries?
- Which offers more sources or references?
2. Interrogate the Machine
Instead of accepting AI outputs at face value, encourage students to critique them. Give them a prompt, collect ChatGPT’s response, and ask:
- Are the facts accurate and up to date?
- Is the reasoning sound or just confident-sounding filler?
- What perspectives or counterarguments are missing?
3. Prompt Like a Pro
Good prompts don’t appear fully formed, they are built through iteration. Start with a vague prompt and work with your class to refine it step by step. Show how the back-and-forth with ChatGPT produces clearer, more specific outputs.
Once students develop a strong prompt, let them put it to work:
- Generate an image in MidJourney.
- Create an interactive worksheet with Canva AI.
- Use Canva Code to build a simple game or simulation.
4. Check for Bias
AI systems reflect the data they are trained on, which means they can reproduce blind spots, stereotypes, or dominant narratives. Ask students to analyze an AI response with questions like:
- Whose perspective is centered or missing?
- Does the output reinforce assumptions or stereotypes?
- What changes when you alter the phrasing, tone, or identity markers in the prompt?
5. Use ChatGPT with Other Tools
Pairing AI with creative platforms opens new possibilities for learning. For example:
- Use ChatGPT to outline a concept, then turn it into an infographic in Canva.
- Summarize a research topic, then present it in Google Slides.
- Brainstorm game mechanics, then design a prototype in Scratch or Canva Code.
6. Talk to the Image
With multimodal AI, students can now upload images and interact with them. This creates opportunities for visual inquiry, such as:
- Asking ChatGPT to describe or analyze the image.
- Searching for related historical, scientific, or cultural references.
- Transcribing or translating visible text.
- Generating a new image in a similar style or mood.
7. Make It Multidisciplinary
One of AI’s greatest strengths is helping students bridge subjects. Take a single topic, like climate change, and explore it from different disciplinary angles:
- Science: What are the causes?
- Social Studies: How has it influenced policy?
- Language Arts: Can you write a poem from the Earth’s perspective?
- Math: What data would you collect to measure effects?
Final Thoughts
ChatGPT can be more than a shortcut generator. In the classroom, it becomes a partner for questioning, comparing, critiquing, and creating meaningful learning experiences. Our role as educators is to help them build the habits of mind that will last beyond a single lesson: curiosity, critical evaluation, and purposeful creativity.
