Ethical Dilemmas in AI

This worksheet helps students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 develop ethical reasoning, critical thinking, and evidence-based writing skills by examining how AI decisions can impact people’s lives. Students take on the role of “Ethics Engineers” as they analyze two real-world-inspired scenarios involving AI-driven sentencing predictions and hiring decisions, focusing on fairness, bias, and responsible design.

Learning Goals

• Ethics and Civic Responsibility (Grades 6-8) – Students explore how AI decisions can affect individuals and communities.
• Evaluating Consequences of AI Decisions – Learners analyze potential harms, benefits, and unintended outcomes of automated systems.
• Identifying Bias and Fairness Issues – Students recognize where bias may appear and why it matters.
• Evidence-Based Responses – Students support ethical judgments with clear reasoning and examples from the scenarios.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators with age-appropriate, thought-provoking scenarios.
• Low-Prep and Discussion-Ready – Ideal for independent reflection, small-group discussion, or whole-class debate.
• Role-Based Engagement – “Ethics Engineer” framing encourages thoughtful, real-world problem solving.
• Supports Diverse Learners – Guided questions help students organize complex ethical ideas.
• Cross-Curricular Alignment – Integrates social studies ethics, English Language Arts writing, and technology literacy.

This printable worksheet helps students understand that AI systems are not value-neutral and must be designed with fairness and responsibility in mind. Through scenario analysis, reflection, and explanation, learners build ethical awareness, critical thinking, and communication skills. Suitable for classroom or homeschool use, this activity supports informed discussion about technology’s role in society and responsible AI decision-making.

This worksheet is part of our Role of Bias in AI collection.