NATURAL SCIENCES · AI & SOCIETY
In a world of AI,
keep your curiosity.
Use your judgement.
Artificial intelligence can open doors to learning. Knowing what to question makes the difference.
Explore how we can use AI thoughtfully — to learn, create and make informed decisions, while keeping people at the centre.
Build your checking habitsDiscerning Truth in the Age of AI · Divali Nagar 2026
01 / THE OPPORTUNITY
A useful tool.
A thoughtful learner.
AI is already part of everyday learning. It can help us find information, translate ideas, practise skills and create. Each use still calls for attention and judgement.
Explore & understand
Search for information, compare explanations and ask questions. Check important answers against reliable sources.
Practise & progress
Use practice questions, tutoring prompts and feedback to support learning. Teachers decide what matters and what comes next.
Express & create
Explore language support, draft ideas and creative possibilities. Evaluate the result and say when AI helped.
What do we mean by artificial intelligence?
- Artificial intelligence
- The broad field of systems designed to perform tasks associated with human intelligence.
- Machine learning
- Methods that learn patterns from data.
- Deep learning
- Machine learning using networks with many layers.
- Generative AI and large language models
- Tools that generate new content. Plausible wording does not guarantee an accurate answer.
SCIENCE IN ACTION · TOBAGO
Space, AI and a
more resilient Tobago.
How can satellite data and artificial intelligence help communities prepare for natural disasters? This short film explores a digital twin of Tobago — a satellite-powered 3D model developed to support climate resilience in Small Island Developing States.
Produced by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), with narration by Deanesh Ramsewak of the University of Trinidad and Tobago.
02 / THE RESPONSIBILITY
Convincing is a style.
Accuracy needs evidence.
An answer can sound confident and still be wrong. Responsible use means knowing the risks and having a practical response.
Trace the claim back to its source.
Verify important facts and references. Deepfakes and fabricated content can make false information look credible.
Pause before sharing personal details.
Collect only what is needed, protect sensitive information and use clear safeguards and accountability.
Ask whose perspective is missing.
Look for unfair patterns. Include affected communities and consider who may lack devices, connectivity or relevant language support.
Keep human judgement in the process.
Use AI to support thinking. Teachers and learners remain responsible for assessing what they trust and understand.
03 / EVERYDAY PRACTICE
Five habits.
Better questions.
A simple routine for using AI with care — at school, at work and in everyday life.
- 01
Ask
What problem is this tool helping to solve?
- 02
Check
Verify important answers with reliable sources.
- 03
Protect
Avoid sharing personal or sensitive information.
- 04
Disclose
Say when AI helped with work or learning.
- 05
Decide
Keep human judgement for important choices.
PUT YOUR JUDGEMENT TO WORK
Would you share it?
An AI tool gives you a surprising scientific claim, a polished explanation and the name of a research paper. You are about to include it in a school presentation.
What is your best next step?
04 / ACCESS THAT MATTERS
Opportunity should
include everyone.
AI can support language access, flexible practice and accessibility. Those benefits depend on the conditions around the tool.
Access takes more than software.
Learners need reliable connectivity and devices, affordable tools in relevant languages, and educators with the time and AI literacy to guide them.
Questioning is a skill we can teach.
UNESCO’s AI competency frameworks connect knowledge and skills with ethics, critical judgement and human agency. Students progress through understanding, applying and creating; teachers through acquiring, deepening and creating.
Read the presentation’s evidence note on unequal access
The presentation cites a 47% versus 8% comparison of institutional AI use from Li et al.’s supplied 2025 ChemRxiv preprint. It is not peer-reviewed, an official UNESCO statistic or a definitive global estimate. The relevance of the comparison to a particular country, audience or education sector needs confirmation.
THE UNESCO PERSPECTIVE
Technology should serve people.
Human dignity and rights, just and peaceful societies, diversity and inclusion, and care for the environment guide responsible AI use.
Inclusive learning and the capacity to assess information.
Fair access to tools, infrastructure and support.
Attention to environmental impact and sustainability.
Information integrity and accountable decisions.
Trustworthy use also requires ethical governance, transparency and explainability. Before choosing a tool, ask: What learning problem does it solve? Who might be excluded? What data does it need? Who remains accountable?
KEEP EXPLORING
Sources & further reading
Adapted from the supplied “Discerning Truth in the Age of AI” presentation for the Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO.
View the presentation’s references and evidence notes
- UNESCO. AI and education: guidance for policy-makers. 2021.
- UNESCO. Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. Adopted 2021.
- UNESCO. Guidance for generative AI in education and research. 2023.
- UNESCO. AI Competency Framework for Students. 2024.
- UNESCO. AI Competency Framework for Teachers. 2024.
- United Nations. Sustainable Development Goal 4.
- Li, Y. et al. Integrating AI in Education. Supplied ChemRxiv preprint, 2025. Not peer-reviewed; used as background material.
The adoption comparison is indicative evidence only. It should not be treated as an official UNESCO statistic or a definitive global estimate.