Teachers Teach Students To Spot Anthropomorphism in AI

Dr. Athena Stanley outlines classroom approaches for helping K-12 students recognize anthropomorphism in AI, using everyday examples and connecting the tendency to AI tools like chatbots and LLMs. The instruction aims to reduce conflation of simulated responses with human agency as part of foundational AI literacy.

In a TeachThought piece, Dr. Athena Stanley outlines classroom approaches for helping K-12 students recognise anthropomorphism in AI. The article lists concrete entry points: ask students to identify everyday examples naming cars, talking to pets, describing weather, blaming a computer that 'hates' them , use those examples to discuss why anthropomorphism feels natural, and then connect the tendency to AI tools such as chatbots, AI companions, virtual characters, and LLMs that can produce humanlike language. The author frames this instruction as part of foundational AI literacy. Editorial analysis: Teaching students to notice anthropomorphism reduces the chance they conflate simulated responses with human agency. For curriculum designers and classroom technologists, the piece provides a pragmatic, discussion-led module that complements lessons on bias and academic integrity.