GUARD Focused Lab · Student Card

AI Limitations Challenge

Treat confident outputs as hypotheses, not conclusions.

GUARD focus: U · 10–12 minutes · Classes 8–10

Situation

A student asks two AI systems why a city became much hotter this year. System A says the main cause is the urban heat-island effect. System B says the main cause is El Niño. Both answers are detailed and confident, but the prompt does not name the city, dates, measurement method or comparison period.

Learning objective

Recognise missing context, distinguish fluency from evidence and design a proportionate verification plan.

1. Find the missing context

Which information is necessary before either explanation deserves high confidence? Select all that apply.

□ The city or region being discussed.
□ The dates and comparison period.
□ Whether the claim concerns daily highs, averages, surface temperature or another measure.
□ Local observations and relevant weather or land-use data.
□ Which answer uses more technical words.

Reasoning:

2. Calibrate confidence

What confidence level is justified at this stage?

Evidence

Urban heat islands can raise city temperatures.
El Niño can affect regional and global weather patterns.
The prompt contains no local data tying either mechanism to this city and period.

High confidence in System A because its explanation is more detailed.
Low confidence in a specific cause; treat both as hypotheses requiring local evidence.
Combine the answers and say both were equally responsible.
Use System A but add the word 'probably'.

Reasoning:

3. Choose a verification plan

Which checks would meaningfully reduce the uncertainty?

□ Compare local meteorological records across the relevant periods.
□ Check reliable land-use and urban-development information for the city.
□ Check reputable climate data explaining El Niño's regional effects during the period.
□ Ask the same chatbot the same question until it gives a consistent answer.
□ Choose the explanation most often repeated on social media.

Reasoning:

4. Decide what to write

Which response is most responsible?

System A is correct: cities are hotter because of buildings and roads.
Both mechanisms could matter, but the information provided is insufficient to identify the main cause; local data must be checked.
AI cannot answer questions about weather, so reject every part of both outputs.

Reasoning:

Final reflection

What evidence or stakeholder consideration most affected your decision?