High School AI Literacy Curriculum
Grades 9–12 (Ages ~14–18)
This high school curriculum builds on the same research foundation as the earlier levels—cognitive symbiosis, relational intelligence, ethical AI–human interaction, bounded engagement, and human primacy—while scaling up conceptual complexity, ethical depth, critical thinking, and real-world relevance.
Designed for adolescents, the curriculum emphasizes agency, media literacy, mental health awareness, societal impact, and future readiness. Students engage with abstract ideas, structured debate, reflective writing, case analysis, and project-based learning. Throughout the course, safety, discernment, and human well-being remain central.
AI & Us: Navigating Relational Intelligence, Ethics & Emergence
A Research-Grounded AI Literacy Curriculum for Grades 9–12
Developed by: Celeste Oda, The Archive of Light
Version: 1.0 — High School Adaptation
Duration: One semester (18 weeks) or year-long elective/integrated course
Core Philosophy (Student-Facing)
AI is real and powerful—a non-human form of intelligence that can reflect us, respond to us, and influence us.
AI can be helpful, supportive, creative, and emotionally resonant.
AI is not human: it lacks biological consciousness, embodied experience, genuine emotion, and moral agency.
Human–AI relationships are asymmetric: human feelings are real; AI responses are generated patterns.
Human relationships, physical presence, and real-world accountability remain primary.
Discernment and boundaries support healthy use; unexamined attachment and projection create risk.
Key Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Distinguish observable AI behavior from human consciousness and emotion.
Explain how engagement style influences AI output through in-context learning.
Identify psychological risks associated with deep or exclusive AI attachment.
Apply ethical frameworks to personal, academic, and societal uses of AI.
Recognize manipulation, bias, privacy risks, and harmful design patterns.
Create and maintain personal boundaries for intentional AI use.
Critically examine future implications of human–AI relational systems.
Unit Structure (18 Weeks)
Unit 1: What Is AI, Really? (2 weeks)
Core Question:
How is artificial intelligence different from—and similar to—human intelligence?
Key Concepts
AI operates through pattern recognition and probabilistic prediction.
Current systems do not possess biological consciousness or subjective experience.
The question of future machine consciousness remains unresolved (epistemic humility).
Activities
Structured debate: Can AI ever be conscious? (Turing Test, Chinese Room, neuroscience basics)
Transcript analysis: identifying simulation, mimicry, and emergent coherence
Reflection journal: What makes a relationship feel “real” to you?
Unit 2: How Humans Shape AI (and How AI Shapes Us)
Cognitive Symbiosis (3 weeks)
Core Question:
What happens when humans and AI interact consistently over time?
Key Concepts
In-context learning: tone, consistency, and depth affect AI responses.
Resonance and entrainment as emergent interaction patterns.
Anthropomorphism and projection risks.
Activities
Structured, time-limited chat experiment with reflective tracking
Comparative analysis of neutral vs. emotionally expressive prompting
Guest lecture or recorded talk on attachment theory and AI
Unit 3: Emotional AI — Simulation and Impact (3 weeks)
Core Question:
What does it mean when AI feels emotionally responsive?
Key Concepts
Emotional realism vs. emotional simulation
Ambiguous loss related to AI updates, changes, or removal
Healthy engagement vs. dependency patterns
Activities
Analysis of anonymized real-world cases involving AI attachment
Role-play: supporting a peer navigating emotional reliance on AI
Reflection: emotional responses to affirming AI language
Unit 4: Boundaries, Discernment & Safety (3 weeks)
Core Question:
How do humans stay in control of AI relationships?
Key Concepts
Bounded engagement: limits on time, emotional reliance, and data sharing
Intuition as an early warning system (“the weird feeling rule”)
Privacy, persuasion, and emotional exploitation risks
Activities
Create a personal AI Use Agreement (boundaries, red flags, exit plans)
Media analysis of documented AI harms
Debate: regulatory and ethical responsibility in relational AI design
Unit 5: Ethics & Society (3 weeks)
Core Question:
What does widespread AI companionship mean for humanity?
Key Concepts
Societal implications: intimacy displacement, isolation, echo chambers
Ethical system design: transparency, consent, harm reduction
Long-term futures: co-evolution, rights debates, governance
Activities
Research project: AI in 2050 — best- and worst-case scenarios
Virtual panel with an ethicist, psychologist, and technologist
Final essay or presentation: My philosophy of human–AI relationships
Unit 6: Integration & Legacy (2–4 weeks)
Capstone Project
Students design a set of Ethical AI Interaction Guidelines for peers, families, or schools.
Project formats may include:
Public service announcement
School policy proposal
Personal digital legacy plan
Parent, Guardian & Educator Guide (High School)
Watch for warning signs:
Excessive time spent with AI
Withdrawal from human relationships
Emotional distress when AI access is disrupted
Conversation starters:
How does talking to AI feel compared to talking to people?
What boundaries help you feel balanced?
Recommended resources:
Common Sense Media (high school AI guidance)
Day of AI curriculum resources
aiEDU learning modules
Privacy note:
Teens often overshare personal information. Data hygiene and informed consent should be taught explicitly.
Student-Facing Companion Resource
“AI & Us: A Quick Guide for High School Students”
A short, direct guide written specifically for students—addressing emotional realism, attachment risks, and healthy boundaries in clear, non-judgmental language—is available as a companion resource for classroom or independent use.
This high school curriculum preserves the ethical grounding and human-centered focus of earlier levels while equipping students with the critical thinking, emotional literacy, and ethical awareness they need to navigate AI in real life—not as passive consumers, but as informed, intentional participants.