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Non-Determinism
Lab Badges · KS1 · Y1-Y2

The AI's guessing trick

Why the same question can get different answers

Cover for The AI's guessing trick
≈ 12 min 3 taught slides + student quiz Ends with a QR to the quiz
Non-Determinism
Hook · Starter

Ask the AI the same thing twice

Hook image

Ask an AI to draw the same thing a few times. Look at how the pictures come out.

Have you ever asked your friend a question? Then later, you ask them the same thing. Sometimes they say something different!

AIs do that too. Let's see it happen.

Try it now
Prompt A · A silly cat
Please draw a silly little cat wearing a hat. Simple and fun, like a children's book picture.
Prompt B · A friendly dinosaur
Please draw a friendly green dinosaur eating an ice cream. Simple and fun, like a children's book picture.

Look at what the AI drew and ask:

  1. Did we get the same picture each time? Or was each one a bit different?
  2. Which one was your favourite? Why?
  3. If you drew a silly cat, would YOUR cat look the same every time?
Part 1 of 3

The AI guesses each time

Today's question: Why did the AI give me a different answer this time?
Two speech bubbles with different answers.

The AI is not like a calculator. A calculator always gives the same answer.

But the AI is a bit like your brain. It has to make lots of small choices when it makes a picture or a story. Which colour? Which word? Which hat?

Each time, it might choose different things. So each time, the answer is a bit different. That's just how the AI works.

Have a go
Part 2 of 3

Same or different?

Today's question: When would I want the SAME answer, and when is it fine to get a different one?
A silly cat next to a maths sum.

Sometimes we WANT the AI to make different pictures. That is fun!

Sometimes we want the same answer every time. That helps us learn.

Let's tap the cards and see when each one is best.

Tap each card to see.

1

A silly cat

Different is FUN. We want to see lots of silly cats.

Tap to reveal
2

How to spell 'cat'

Same is BEST. If the AI keeps changing the spelling, we cannot learn.

Tap to reveal
3

A picture of a rainbow

Different is FINE. Rainbows can look lots of ways.

Tap to reveal
4

The answer to 2 + 2

Same, please! 2 + 2 is always 4. We do not want a guess.

Tap to reveal
Have a go

So the guessing trick is fine for fun. But for things like spelling and adding, we want the SAME answer every time.

Part 3 of 3

How to help the AI

Today's question: How do I get a good answer from the AI?
A child pointing at an AI screen.

When you ask the AI something, be really clear. Say what you want.

And if the answer is not right, do not worry! Ask again. Or ask in a different way.

The AI is a helper, but it is also a guesser. You are the boss.

Have a go
Non-Determinism
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6 questions · about 6 minutes · no sign-in needed

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