NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
SUMMARY
In movies and literature, a wolf’s haunting howl can signify danger or untamed nature. In real life, researchers in Yellowstone National Park are analyzing those howls with cutting-edge AI technology to better monitor and track wolves. Matt Standal of PBS Montana reports.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Where is Yellowstone National Park?
- When were gray wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone?
- Why are scientists studying wolf sounds?
- How does the AI technology used in monitoring the wolf sounds work?
- What are the privacy concerns raised by using AI in Yellowstone?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Do you think AI recording technology should be used to protect wolves in Yellowstone if it means potentially violating park goers' privacy rights? Explain.
Media literacy: What additional questions do you have concerning AI and privacy concerns? How could you find out more about the subject of AI ethics?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
AI & Society activity: Choose another News Hour story about AI below to watch with a peer, family member or neighbor. What skills do you think the people who created the AI technology possess? What questions about privacy do you have after watching the story? Do you think the public should be made aware of when they are interacting with AI or in an environment that is using AI, which might inadvertently listen to their conversations (there are no such federal regulations currently in place)? Why or why not?
How Los Angeles has used AI to help those on the brink of homelessness
AI-generated models shake up the fashion industry and raise concerns
Opera uses AI to give people with non-verbal disabilities a voice
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