Exploring AI Responsibly
This website is an interactive student lab that serves as a supplement to Google's Meet Leo training program. The aim of Meet Leo is to help parents and guardians with three overarching topics about life online:
(1) Being safe
(2) Managing ground rules
(3) Exploring responsibly
The goal of the Meet Leo program is to give you tips on parenting in the digital age and knowledge of some of Google’s family-friendly features like Safe Search and Family Link so you’ll be better equipped to help your kids navigate the digital world.
Exploring AI Responsibly
Interactive Student Lab
How big is "Big Data"? How does AI think? And how do we find the truth?
The Time Machine Quiz
Google uses AI because the numbers are too big for humans.
How long is 1 Million Seconds?
How long is 1 Billion Seconds?
How long is 1 Trillion Seconds?
Google handles
5 Trillion searches a year
from people all over the world.
Nearly 1 Trillion
of them are new search queries that
no one has ever searched before.
Why can't we just code the answers?
The "New" Query Problem
Every day, 15% of Google searches are brand new. That's 1 in 6!
Old Coding vs. AI
Traditional Programming
You write specific rules: If user types "cat", show cat.jpg
Problem: You can't write rules for things you've never seen!
Machine Learning (AI)
You feed it data (patterns). It learns to understand intent, even for searches it has never seen before.
Finding the Line
Machine Learning finds a boundary to separate the groups (Classification).
Click "Train Model" to see the AI separate the data.
Not all AI is the same
Artificial Intelligence
The big umbrella! Any technique that enables computers to mimic human intelligence.
Click the circles to learn more!
What is the goal?
You are the operator. Click "Run" to process the inputs.
Classification
Machine Learning
Output:
"SPAM DETECTED" 🚫
Logic & Strategy
Narrow AI
Output:
"Knight to F3" ♞
Creation
Generative AI
Output:
🐱🚀
(New Image Created)
The Creative Engine: What can Gen AI Create?
Click a mode below to see it in action.
Text
Stories, Poems
Image
Art, Photos
Video
Animations
Code
Websites, Apps
Select a mode 👈
Create Music with Code in EarSketch
Explicit Instructions
In EarSketch, you write a script with explicit instructions on which sound to play and when.
Generative AI Mixer
Traditional Coding follows rules. Generative AI creates based on patterns.
Predictive AI
"Here is a video you might like."
Generative AI
"Here is a new poem."
MusicFX Concept Demo
Select inputs...
How do Large Language Models Learn?
Before MusicFX can make music, it has to listen to billions of songs. This is called the Training Set.
The Training Data (Hover to Reveal Labels)
Labels:
Labels:
Labels:
Labels:
Connecting Words to Sound
Just like Gemini reads text to learn words, MusicFX listens to sound files with labels to learn patterns.
How to Explore AI Responsibly
Before experimenting with AI tools, it’s important to understand their limitations and set clear expectations for responsible use.
AI is a tool and not a replacement for critical thinking.
AI can make mistakes and even make things up. Double-check information.
AI is technology, not human. It cannot think for itself, it is just great at picking up patterns.
Google AI Overviews and AI Mode
Uncover info fast with AI Overviews
Use Google AI Overviews to quickly explore topics they’re curious about. After adding your question to Google Search, AI Overviews will provide a clear, structured snapshot of key information for them to read, with helpful links to explore more on the web.
Dive deeper with AI Mode
AI Mode is then ready for all of their follow-up questions. No special phrasing or formatting required. It understands the context of their question, however they ask it.
AI Mode will then continue to organize information into clear, structured breakdowns with helpful links, always ready for their next follow up question.
🛡️ Quality & Safety Guardrails
Both AI Overviews and AI Mode are grounded in high quality information from the web.
Corroborating links are provided so they can check details and learn the importance of exploring sources.
Note: Under 18 year olds receive Directed Disclaimers which encourage them to check important information.
Use Google Lens to discover the world
Google Lens helps you explore what you see around you, from identifying a cloud in the sky to learning about something you find in nature. Simply point the camera, ask a question, and AI Overviews will respond with a helpful answer. AI Mode is then ready for any follow up questions.
🌿 ACTIVITY IDEA: “Lens Safari”
Head outside together for a “Lens Safari”. Bring a notebook and take turns using Google Lens to discover the names of plants, insects, or birds you spot.
More Ways to Use Lens
Use Lens to learn at home
You can also use Lens to support learning at home. Start by scanning a problem to get step-by-step explanations designed to help you work towards a solution. From there, you can use AI Mode to ask clarifying questions and surface insights that build on your understanding.
📚 ACTIVITY IDEA: “Homework Team-Up”
Pick a question from a textbook and try solving it together. Use Google Lens side by side, talk about what it shows, and decide together if the information feels accurate and reliable.
Start a chat with Search Live
You can use your cameras to ask questions about a tricky concept and get instant audio responses, with helpful on-screen content & links from across the web. It turns curiosity into a two-way conversation, helping you learn and explore as you go.
Use Lens on your laptop
If you don't have access to a mobile device, Google Lens is also available in the Chrome browser. Highlight any text or image on screen to search with Lens directly in Chrome. You’ll see AI Overviews and links to reliable sources, all in one place. AI Mode is then ready for all your follow up questions.
Explore new languages
Lens can also act as your personal translator for learning new languages. Point the camera at written or printed words in another language and see instant translations on screen in real time.
美味菜单 (Menu)
Explore arts & culture
AI in the Google Arts & Culture app allows you to learn more about arts, history, people, and wonders of our world in new and interactive ways.
NotebookLM
NotebookLM helps you continue to explore and organise what you’ve been learning, using only the information you upload to form its responses.
You can add your carefully crafted notes, handouts, or even videos to summarise key ideas, make connections between topics, and prepare for projects or exams.
Get inspired with Gemini
Whether you want to understand a complex topic however you learn best (like with images or examples), or get creative inspiration, Gemini makes it easy with a specific experience for young learners.
Thinking Like a Scientist
Question Authority
AI can hallucinate.
Demand Evidence
Check the source.
Triangulate
Use 3 sources.
Mastering Source Triangulation
Click the tabs to learn how to verify information like a pro.
Treat single sources as "Yellow Flags"
In a recent video, "How to Tell What’s Real Online", Neil deGrasse Tyson suggests that a single piece of information isn't necessarily false, but it isn't verified yet. It's a "Yellow Flag".
- The Verification Rule: If a claim interests you, you MUST find another place to verify it.
- Consensus vs. Cherry-Picking: Don't just look for one study that agrees with you. Look for the consensus (what most experts say).
The GPS Analogy
One satellite only gives you a huge 50-mile circle (Yellow Flag). You need 3 satellites to lock onto your precise blue dot location. Truth works the same way!
Triangulate back to the "Original"
Don't rely on clips or commentary. Social media posts are often just snippets surrounded by opinion.
- Bypass the Middleman: Find the content in its original format and length.
- Contextual Check: A 10-second clip can be misleading. Watch the full video to see the speaker's actual intent.
The "Telephone Game"
Social media is a massive game of Telephone. By the time a viral clip reaches you, the meaning has changed. Go straight to the first person to hear the truth.
Triangulate against "Real World" Rules
AI can trick the eye, but it often fails at physics and specific details. Use "Domain-Specific" knowledge to spot fakes.
- The Expert Check: A bricklayer would notice fake masonry. A nurse would spot a fake medical scene.
- Physical Consistency: Does the lighting match? Do the shadows make sense? Are mechanical parts "mangled"?
The "Glitchy Video Game"
AI images are like video games with bugs. The graphics look great at first glance (4K!), but if you look closely, you'll find "glitches" where reality breaks.
Triangulate the AI Output
LLMs "assemble words," they don't think. They can be flat-out wrong.
- The Search Engine Method: Treat AI as a tool to find sources, not the source itself.
- Click the Links: Don't trust the text generated by the bot. Click the provided citations to assemble your own answer.
- Institutional Weight: Trust .edu and .gov sites more than random blogs.
🕵️ Activity 1: The "Link Hunter"
Goal: Catch the AI making stuff up (AI hallucinations).
Ask AI a question, then check its sources:
👓 Activity 2: The "Expert Lens"
Goal: Practice domain-specific scrutiny.
The Task: Assign roles (Architect, Physicist, Fashion Designer) and analyze an AI image ONLY through that lens.
Ask: Does the building structure make sense? Do the shadows align with the light source? Do the clothes fit the laws of physics?
Lab: Source Triangulation
Verify this suspicious claim using 3 data points.
"Sharks in Volcanoes!"
Claim: Sharks found swimming in active lava.
1. Check Author
2. Cross Check
3. Inspect Image
CLAIM DEBUNKED
Responsible AI Use
For Students 🎓
- ✅ Use AI to brainstorm, not to write.
- ✅ Always check facts.
Family Talk 🏠
"If you could invent a new tech to explore, what would it be?"