You be the judge: rate these 20 AI conversation prompts

[This post includes a free download!] 

In scenario 11 of the second edition of A Book of Questions, readers are asked to form an opinion about whether AI-enabled robots should be used to help kids develop their conversation skills. Is there something fundamentally human about conversations that we should hold onto? Or should we be open to the possibilities that the technology has to offer?

That scenario is the inspiration behind this activity, but we’re taking it in a different direction. Instead of judging the idea, we’re judging the AIs performance. With the below list of unedited AI-generated conversation prompts, it’s time to put the machine in the hot seat.

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The activity

This activity is flexible: it only requires steps 1, 2 and 3. But to activate deeper thinking, you can extend it as detailed in these instructions.

Below are 20 unedited AI-generated conversation starters, with a little direction from Furious Think. Taking one prompt at a time, do the following:

  • Read the prompt.
  • Rate it on a scale from 1 to 5 for how well you think it would generate a conversation – 1 being "Terrible and sloppish" and 5 being "Exceeded all expectations."
  • Explain the reason or reasons for your rating.

You can stop here.

But if you have time, use the prompt as the basis for a real conversation. Then you can revise or confirm your rating. Make sure to give reasons for why you changed your rating or why you kept it.

And you can keep going, for even deeper thinking.

  • Improve the prompt.
  • Explain how you think your changes make it better.
  • If you have the time, use the new and improved prompt to start a conversation.
  • Conclude whether your improvements had actual value.

This activity is also available in a downloadable PDF: You be the judge: rate these AI conversation prompts.

 

The 20 AI-generated conversation prompts

Conversation starters for dinnertime

  1. You can ban one table manner forever, but you have to invent a new one that everyone follows. What's the trade?  1   2   3   4   5
  2. Would you rather have your family vote on your bedtime or let one randomly chosen family member decide? You might be the one chosen.  1   2   3   4   5
  3. If every chore earned the same amount of money, which would suddenly become your favourite? Which would still not be worth it?  1   2   3   4   5
  4. You can hear everything your pet thinks about your family for one day. Your pet gets to hear your thoughts too. Deal?  1   2   3   4   5
  5. Your family can invent one new dinner tradition, but everyone has to enjoy it—including whoever cooks and cleans up. What do you propose?   1   2   3   4   5

Conversation starters for walks

  1. For the rest of this walk, every bird you pass will either insult you or give you advice. Which would you choose?  1   2   3   4   5
  2. You find a wallet full of money with no name or contact details inside. How hard do you have to try to find its owner before you can keep it? 1   2   3   4   5
  3. Pick a building we're passing. What perfectly legal but deeply annoying business could open there?  1   2   3   4   5
  4. Would you rather every dog bark your name as you pass or every squirrel follow you in complete silence? This happens on every walk.  1   2   3   4   5
  5. You can ask one tree on this walk a question, and it will answer honestly. Which tree do you choose, and what do you ask?  1   2   3   4   5

Conversation starters for at-home learning

  1. You give the right answer but can't explain why. Someone else gives the wrong answer with excellent reasoning. Who deserves more credit?  1   2   3   4   5
  2. You can instantly become an expert in one subject, but you'll never feel curious about it again. Would you do it? Which subject?  1   2   3   4   5
  3. A history book tells you only true things, but leaves out everything that makes its country's leaders look bad. Is it an honest book?  1   2   3   4   5
  4. A scientist discovers something important by ignoring a rule. Should they be rewarded, punished or both? Does it matter what the rule was?  1   2   3   4   5
  5. You get to teach a lesson on anything you like. How would you get someone interested who thinks your subject is boring?  1   2   3   4   5

Conversation starters for classroom breaks

  1. Your desk can either answer one question truthfully each day or make one extremely convincing excuse for you each week. Which feature do you want?  1   2   3   4   5
  2. Would you rather have to defend an opinion you disagree with or let someone who disagrees with you explain your opinion to the class?  1   2   3   4   5
  3. Your class gets a robot substitute teacher. It follows every school rule exactly, with no exceptions. What goes wrong first?  1   2   3   4   5
  4. You can make one school rule disappear, but the person who likes that rule most gets to replace it. Do you risk it?  1   2   3   4   5
  5.  Your class can choose one new activity for break time, but it has to work for someone who wants quiet and someone who wants action. What could you try?  1   2   3   4   5

 

Your feedback 

Now that you’ve graded the AI, step back and consider what its prompts – and your thoughts about them – reveal about what makes for a good conversation. What would be the feedback you would provide to this AI about its performance?

And what did you learn about what makes for a good conversation? For instance, which prompt earned the best conversation, not just the highest rating? Which one fell flat? Did the AI make any assumptions you didn't agree with? Did anything surprise you about its list of prompts? Were your revised prompts better?

And… of course, going back to scenario 11 from A Book of Questions: From Ancient Greece To AI, 99 Ideas & Scenarios to Spark Critical Thinking, which inspired this activity: what do you think about using AI-enabled robots to improve your conversation skills?

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