AI and the Environment · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

AI and the environment

Computing · Artificial Intelligence · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. An AI system flags possible forest changes in satellite pictures. How should people use these flags?

    • Treat each flag as proof that trees were cut down illegally
    • Use flags to choose places for people to investigate
    • Count each flag as a forest already protected from further loss

  2. An AI model trains in a data centre whose cooling system uses water. Which resources does this work use?

    • Electricity and water
    • Only paper and printer ink
    • Only sunlight and soil

  3. Every AI training job uses exactly the same amount of electricity.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Once an AI model finishes training, running it to answer new requests uses no electricity.

    Circle one:   True   False

  5. New weather observations show that conditions have changed. Which method updates an AI forecast using those new observations?

    • Repeat yesterday's forecast without using the new observations
    • Replace the forecast with the weather most people would prefer
    • Use the new observations and learned patterns to predict conditions

  6. A power company gets an AI forecast of tomorrow's wind and sunlight. Which use fits what the forecast can tell it?

    • Estimate available wind and solar electricity
    • Promise the predicted supply as a guaranteed amount
    • Treat tomorrow's predicted supply as the amount for the whole year

  7. A company tests an AI crop-watering tool. What evidence would help judge its overall environmental effect?

    • The screen colors and how exciting the company finds them
    • Only its prediction count, without checking any results
    • Water saved and resources used to build and run the tool

  8. Omar says, 'Training uses electricity, so AI can only harm the environment.' What possibility has he left out?

    • Training can happen without using any computing equipment
    • An AI tool may help people reduce environmental harm
    • Every AI tool always cancels all the costs of making it
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

AI and the environment W1-mt_ZpCcTU8j_o-s1

  1. Use flags to choose places for people to investigate · A flag identifies a possible change to investigate. It neither proves an illegal cause nor protects the forest by itself.
  2. Electricity and water · The computers use electricity. The cooling system described in the question also uses water.
  3. False · Electricity use varies with the model, equipment and task.
  4. False · Computers also use electricity when running the trained model.
  5. Use the new observations and learned patterns to predict conditions · Updating with new observations uses the new evidence. Yesterday's forecast may rely on earlier weather data, but repeating it unchanged does not use the new observations.
  6. Estimate available wind and solar electricity · The forecast can support an estimate of tomorrow's renewable supply. It does not guarantee that amount or describe the whole year.
  7. Water saved and resources used to build and run the tool · Compare measured benefits with costs, including water, electricity and equipment.
  8. An AI tool may help people reduce environmental harm · A project can have resource costs and possible benefits. Both need investigation.
Worksheet · LightMySky