Teaching teens to spot AI and bots
Teenagers meet bots in games, DMs, homework help and scams. A 30-minute lesson that is actually fun.
What to cover
- Bots are everywhere: support chats, social media replies, games, "wrong number" texts.
- AI writes fluently, so good spelling no longer means a person.
- What still works: right-now questions, real memories, opinions, and checking the source.
- The rules that never change: no codes, passwords, photos or money to anyone you haven't verified.
Three activities
1. The classroom Turing test (15 min)
Give everyone the same prompt ("describe your morning in five words"). Collect answers on paper, add one written by a chatbot, read them out, and vote. Then discuss: what gave it away? Full rules in the party game.
2. Bot or Not warm-up (5 min)
Do the Bot or Not quiz together and argue about each answer.
3. Spot the scam (10 min)
Read out a "wrong number" text or a fake recruiter message and list every red flag. Our guides to wrong number texts and fake recruiters have examples.
Talking points
- Using AI isn't cheating everywhere; being honest about it is the point.
- Detectors make mistakes, so never accuse a classmate based on one.
- If something online makes you feel rushed, scared or flattered, slow down and tell someone.
Students 13 and older can also play the daily round, which takes about a minute.
Questions
What age is this for?
Roughly 12 to 18. The daily game on this site is for ages 13 and up, because its human answers are written by other players.
Do I need accounts or devices?
No. The classroom activities work with paper and one teacher device.