Emerging Technologies: Artificial Intelligence (AI) & IOT – SS1 Digital Technologies Lesson Note (Third Term)

Emerging technologies are new gadgets and software that are being developed or are becoming popular now. Two of the most important are Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is the ability of a machine to mimic human intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT), which is a network of physical objects with sensors and software that exchange data over the internet.

Subject: Digital Technologies
Class: SS1

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• explain what emerging technologies are;
• define Artificial Intelligence and describe in simple terms how it learns;
• define the Internet of Things and give examples;
• state why AI and IoT are important;
• mention the risks of AI and IoT.

What are emerging technologies?

In the world of computers, things move very fast. Emerging technologies are new gadgets and software that are currently being developed or are becoming popular right now. They are the “next big thing.”

Think back to when your parents were young. Video calling was something you only saw in movies. Today, it is normal. Emerging technologies are the things that seem like “magic” today but will be normal for you in a few years.

The two biggest ones we will study today are:

1. AI (Artificial Intelligence)
2. IoT (Internet of Things)

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Usually, a computer only does exactly what you tell it to do. If you don’t press a button, it sits there. Artificial Intelligence is different. It is the ability of a machine to “mimic” human intelligence: to learn, solve problems and make decisions on its own.

How does AI work?

AI learns by looking at millions of examples. If you show an AI 10,000 photos of cats, it eventually learns what a cat looks like. The next time you show it a new photo, it can say, “That’s a cat!” without a human telling it.

Examples of AI in your daily life

• Face ID: Your phone recognises your face to unlock.
• Recommendations: YouTube or Netflix suggesting a movie they “think” you will like.
• Virtual assistants: Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa answering your questions.
• Chatbots: Tools like ChatGPT that can write essays or explain math problems.

What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

We are used to “the internet” being something on our phones or laptops. But what if your fridge, your AC or even your streetlights were connected to the internet? That is the Internet of Things (IoT).

Definition: IoT is a network of physical objects (“things”) that are embedded with sensors and software so they can exchange data with other devices over the internet.

Examples of IoT

• Smart homes: You can use your phone to turn on your AC while you are still on your way home, so the room is cool when you arrive.
• Smart watches: Your watch tracks your heartbeat and sends the data to your phone to tell you if you are healthy.
• Smart agriculture: Sensors in a farm can “tell” the irrigation system that the soil is too dry, and the water turns on automatically.

Why are AI and IoT important?

These technologies are being combined to make our world “smarter.”

1. Efficiency: They save time. Instead of a human checking every street light to see if it is broken, an IoT sensor tells the computer, and the AI schedules a repair.
2. Safety: AI in self-driving cars can react faster than a human to avoid an accident.
3. Health: IoT devices can monitor a sick person at home and alert a doctor immediately if their condition changes.

The “Smart City” concept

Imagine a city where trash cans tell the garbage truck when they are full, and traffic lights change based on how many cars are actually on the road. This is only possible because of AI and IoT working together.

What are the risks of AI and IoT?

Every new technology comes with things we need to be careful about.

1. Privacy: If your fridge, watch and car are all on the internet, that is a lot of data about you. If a hacker gets into your “Smart Home” system, they could potentially unlock your front door.
2. Job changes: Because AI can do things like write code or translate languages, some jobs will disappear. However, new jobs (like “AI Prompt Engineer”) are being created.
3. Dependence: If we rely too much on “Smart” systems, what happens when the internet goes down or there is a power failure?

Evaluation

Class discussion

• Discussion: If you could make one “dumb” object in your house “Smart” (connected to the internet), what would it be and why?
• Scenario: An AI makes a mistake and deletes a student’s record. Who is responsible: the person who built the AI or the school using it?

Review questions

1. Define “Artificial Intelligence” in your own words.
2. What is the difference between a “normal” watch and an “IoT” watch?
3. List three ways you have used AI today without realising it.
4. Mention one major risk of the Internet of Things.

Assignment

In your notebook, explain how AI and IoT can work together in a smart city. Use one example from this lesson.