---
title: Talking to Machines
units: [Problem Solving With AI]
summary: Welcome to AI Foundations with Mr. Levine!
weight: 10
---

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## Today's Objectives
- Analyze patterns in AI-generated responses to explain how input prompts influence outputs.
- Experiment with different prompts to observe how AI’s responses change.
- Explain that AI models use probability and statistics to generate responses.
- Refine AI-generated outputs by iterating on prompts and recognizing patterns in responses.

## Lesson Overview
### How do you use AI?
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#### Have you ever used an AI chatbot (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, etc.)?
Guess what percentage of U.S. adults used AI chatbots in 2026.

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According to Pew Research Center, 49% of U.S. adults used AI chatbots in 2026, up from 33% in 2024 [[Source](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/06/17/americans-and-ai-2026-chatbots-smart-devices-and-views-on-impact/)].

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#### What do you use AI chatbots for?
Guess what your classmates might have said.

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According to Pew Research Center, likely answers include:

| Using AI chatbots...                    | % of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 |
|-----------------------------------------|------------------------------:|
| to search for information               | 57%                           |
| to get help with schoolwork             | 54%                           |
| for fun or entertainment                | 47%                           |
| to summarize an article, book, or video | 42%                           |
| to create or edit images or videos      | 38%                           |
| to get news                             | 19%                           |
| for casual conversation                 | 16%                           |
| to get emotional support or advice      | 12%                           |

[[Source](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/02/24/how-teens-use-and-view-ai/)]

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### How does AI generate responses?
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AI generates responses by (in simple terms):

1. Reading your prompt
2. Predicting likely responses based on patterns in its training data
3. Choosing a response based on probability and randomness

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{{% define "Probability" %}}

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### Can AI make mistakes?

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Yes, AI can make mistakes because it turns your prompt into a simplified representation, which can cause important details to be lost in the process. This abstraction can lead to misunderstandings and incorrect responses.

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### How can you use AI effectively?
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Using AI effectively requires learning how to prompt AI, which you will start experimenting with today.

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## Assignment
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{{% unit-journal-define-terms "Artificial Intelligence (AI)" "Probability" "Abstraction" "Prompt" %}}
{{% unit-journal-question-of-the-day question="How can I use AI effectively?" hint="Think about what prompting strategies you used to get the most helpful AI chatbot output." %}}