The Rise of AI

• central claim: the big idea that the author supports in their argument; their position, belief, or viewpoint
  • Example: School should start later.
• reasons: the grounds on which a central claim is based; the individual reasons that support or prove the central claim
  • Example: Middle school-aged kids need more sleep
• supporting evidence: facts, statistics, and examples that show why a reason should be believed; evidence and reasons that support and “hold up” a claim    
  • Example: A study by the Sleep Institute found that 47 percent of kids aren’t getting enough sleep.
• counterclaim: an acknowledgment of a concern or disagreement from those with opposing viewpoints 
  • Example: Some may argue that starting school later won’t help kids get more sleep, that they’ll just go to bed later.
• rebuttal: an author’s direct response to an opposing viewpoint or claim (the “comeback” to a counterclaim)
  • Example: Some may argue that starting school later won’t help kids get more sleep, that they’ll just go to bed later. ←[counterclaim] While that may be true in some cases, a 2018 study that looked at two schools in Seattle found that students’ sleep increased an average of 34 minutes each night after start times were moved nearly an hour later. ←[rebuttal]

For more argument terms support, see our Argument Terms Glossary, found in the Resource Library at Scope Online.

• Project Mikayla’s essay and do a think-aloud that models each step in the Scavenger Hunt. Students can mark along in their magazines with you, or fill in the Scavenger Hunt graphic organizer found at Scope Online. This activity is offered on two levels; the lower-level version has students identify central claims, reasons, and supporting evidence only.
  • Identify Mikayla’s central claim. (What does Mikayla think?)
    • First, ask students: “Based on her essay, how would Mikayla respond to the question in the introduction: Will [AI] ultimately help us—or hurt us?” (Mikayla would say, “AI will ultimately help us.”)
    • Think aloud: “I’m going to circle lines that express this big idea: ‘Artificial intelligence is not something to be feared. It’s a brilliant technology that can make our world—and our daily lives—better.’”
  • Underline Mikayla’s reasons. (Why does she think that?)
    • Think aloud: “I just circled Mikayla’s central claim—that is, what Mikayla thinks. Now I’m going to underline her reasons—or why she thinks what she thinks. I’m going to underline ‘Fear of technology is nothing new’ and ‘Of course, none of these fears came true.’ Then I’m going to underline ‘. . . writing, phones, and computers all transformed our world for the better’ and ‘AI will do the same’ and draw a bracket to show that they go together. Finally, I’m going to underline ‘AI can be used in ways that help society too.’”
  • Put check marks on two pieces of supporting evidence. (How does she know?)
    • Think aloud: “Can I find information Mikayla provides to back up her reasons?” Then draw students’ attention to the following two pieces of evidence: (1) “AI-powered algorithms on TikTok serve us content that we’re interested in. Facial recognition unlocks our phones with a glance. Devices like Alexa tell us the weather when we’re getting ready for school. These are just a few of the AI tools that have made life more convenient” and (2) “Because it can sift through large amounts of data at lightning speed, AI can help doctors detect and diagnose diseases. It can analyze photos and describe objects for people with vision loss. It can help predict natural disasters like hurricanes by quickly analyzing information about past storms.”
  • Star the counterclaim. (What does the other side say?)
    • Think aloud: Think aloud: “Where does Mikayla acknowledge a concern or concerns from the opposing viewpoint? I’m going to star ‘Still, there are issues with AI that must be addressed. One issue is the potential spread of misinformation by tools like ChatGPT, which sometimes gives false or incomplete information.’”
  • Put a double star next to her rebuttal. (What is her response to the other side?)
    • Think aloud: “Does Mikayla have a comeback for the viewpoint that there are issues with AI, like the fact that it could spread misinformation? Yes. She says, ‘But concerns like these are already being dealt with through safety guidelines. In fact, seven major tech companies—including OpenAI, Google, and Meta—have agreed to enact AI safety rules’ and ‘One rule that’s been proposed is that content generated by AI must be labeled with a mark or stamp. This could help prevent the spread of misinformation. If AI-generated images must be marked, for example, it will be harder to pass off fake images as real.’”

• Have students complete the Scavenger Hunt for Dave’s essay. They can work independently or in pairs, optionally using the Scavenger Hunt graphic organizer available at Scope Online. Then share out responses as a class. Sample responses:
  • Central claim: “AI is a dangerous technology.” (Students may also say: “But the fact that AI can do so many of the things that humans can—and do them well—is nothing to celebrate.”)
  • Reasons: “The truth is, AI is dangerous because it can make us less smart, spread false information, and take people’s jobs.”
    
  • Supporting evidence: “McKinsey Global Institute estimates that 12 million people may need to change jobs by 2030 because of AI,” “The feeling of accomplishment you get when you solve that tough algebra problem or write the perfect introduction for that social studies essay, for example, simply cannot be replaced,” and “AI can be used to generate convincing fake videos and images, as well as articles filled with lies.”
    
  • Counterclaim: “Convenience and speed are no doubt valuable when it comes to getting things done.”
    
  • Rebuttal: “But what about the sense of pride that comes with doing things for yourself? The feeling of accomplishment you get when you solve that tough algebra problem or write the perfect introduction for that social studies essay, for example, simply cannot be replaced.”

• Discuss: Which evidence do you find most convincing in each essay? Least convincing? What do Mikayla and Dave agree about? Are there any important reasons you think they left out of their arguments?Answers will vary.