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Computing · Stage 4

Smart Guessers: Data & AI

Coding & Systems · data — a computer can learn a pattern from lots of examples and use it to guess, but its guess can be wrong

✦ Computing📘 Stage 4 · S4⏱ ~10 min🧒 Ages 8–9★ Free to start
I can explain computers guess from data and can be wrong.
Start the free lesson →⬇ Printable PDF
Kavi the owl for Computing
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Kavi Teaches a Computer to Guess

Kavi showed a computer lots of pictures — many cats and many dogs, each one labelled. The computer looked for a pattern in all that data. Then Kavi held up a brand-new picture. "Cat or dog?" The computer said "cat" — and it was right! "It did not really know," Kavi hooted. "It made a smart guess from the examples it saw." Then Kavi showed a fluffy dog that looked a bit like a cat. The computer guessed "cat" — but this time it was wrong. "So that is the big secret," said Kavi. "A computer guesses from data, and even a smart guess can be wrong!"

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What your child will learn

1From data to a guessA computer does not just know things. It looks at lots of data (examples), finds a pattern, and uses it to make a guess. Tap each part to hear its job.
2Show data → Find a pattern → Make a guessA computer learns to guess in three steps. Tap each step to hear it!
3Good data, or one-sided data?A computer learns only from the data we give it. If the examples leave things out, the pattern is unfair and the guess can be wrong.
4Will the guess be right?A computer learned 'fish' only from pictures of orange goldfish. Now it sees a grey shark in the water. Predict its guess, then reveal.
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A peek inside

Kavi shows a computer 100 labelled pictures of apples and bananas, then holds up a new banana. How does the computer decide what it is?
it does not know — it matches the new picture to the pattern in its examples

Try this at home: A computer learns to guess by looking at lots of examples, which we call ___.

Ready to play and learn?

Start the free interactive lesson, or print the handout for screen-free play.

Start the free lesson →⬇ Download PDF

Part of Computing · Stage 4 · S4 on KAVI Academy — a secular, whole-child learning platform for ages 5–12.