Teaching AI & the Future of Work

Free lesson plans, discussion questions, and classroom activities to help students understand AI's impact on careers and prepare for an evolving job market.

High SchoolUndergraduateCareer CounselingProfessional Development

Quick Start: Use in Class Today

1Open displacement.ai and search for a job students are familiar with (e.g., "teacher", "nurse")
2Walk through the risk score and analysis together, discussing each factor
3Have students analyze careers they are interested in individually or in groups
4Facilitate discussion using questions from the themes below

Lesson Plans

Introduction to AI and Automation

High School / Intro College45-60 minutes

Learning Objectives

-Define artificial intelligence and automation
-Distinguish between narrow AI and general AI
-Identify AI applications in everyday life

Activities

-Class brainstorm: "Where did you encounter AI today?"
-Video: Show a 5-minute AI overview (suggestions: Kurzgesagt, Vox)
-Group activity: Sort tasks into "Human," "AI," or "Both" categories

Discussion Questions

What makes some tasks easier for AI than others?
Can you think of a job where AI would struggle?
How do you feel about working alongside AI?

AI Terminology Glossary Task Sorting Worksheet (PDF)

Understanding AI Job Displacement Risk

High School / College45-60 minutes

Learning Objectives

-Explain what job displacement means
-Analyze factors that make jobs more or less vulnerable
-Evaluate their own career interests through a risk lens

Activities

-Interactive demo: Use displacement.ai to analyze 3-5 jobs as a class
-Small groups: Research and present on one job category
-Individual: Analyze a career you're interested in

Discussion Questions

Why do some jobs have higher risk than others?
Is a high-risk job necessarily a bad career choice?
How might these jobs change instead of disappear?

displacement.ai Job Search Risk Factor Breakdown

The History of Technological Disruption

High School / College45-60 minutes

Learning Objectives

-Compare AI disruption to historical technological shifts
-Identify patterns in how societies adapt to change
-Evaluate whether "this time is different"

Activities

-Timeline creation: Major technological disruptions (steam, electricity, computers)
-Case study: A job that was transformed (switchboard operator, bank teller)
-Debate: "AI disruption will be more disruptive than previous changes"

Discussion Questions

What jobs existed 50 years ago that don't exist now?
What new jobs were created by computers?
How did workers adapt to previous changes?

Historical Job Changes Timeline

Building AI-Resilient Skills

High School / College / Professional45-60 minutes

Learning Objectives

-Identify skills that complement AI capabilities
-Distinguish between automatable and non-automatable skills
-Create a personal skill development plan

Activities

-Skills audit: List your current skills and categorize by AI-resistance
-Group discussion: What skills are uniquely human?
-Individual: Draft a skill development plan for the next 5 years

Discussion Questions

Why are soft skills becoming more valuable?
How can you use AI as a tool rather than compete with it?
What skills should schools prioritize teaching?

Skills Assessment Template

Ethics of AI and Employment

High School / College60-90 minutes

Learning Objectives

-Analyze ethical considerations in AI deployment
-Evaluate responsibility for displacement
-Consider policy responses to AI disruption

Activities

-Case study: AI hiring systems and bias
-Role play: Stakeholder perspectives (worker, employer, developer, policymaker)
-Policy proposal: Students draft one recommendation

Discussion Questions

Who is responsible when AI displaces workers?
Should there be limits on automation?
How should the benefits of AI be distributed?

AI Ethics Framework

Discussion Questions by Theme

Personal Career Planning

Q:How might AI change the career you're considering?
Q:What steps can you take now to prepare for an AI-augmented workplace?
Q:Would you choose a lower-risk career even if it paid less?
Q:How do you balance passion with practical risk assessment?

Societal Impact

Q:Should workers displaced by AI receive special support? What kind?
Q:How might AI change income inequality?
Q:What should the role of education be in preparing for AI?
Q:Could AI lead to more leisure time, or just more unemployment?

Critical Thinking About AI

Q:How reliable are predictions about AI's impact?
Q:What biases might exist in AI displacement studies?
Q:Are the most-cited statistics sensationalized or understated?
Q:How can you evaluate AI claims in the media?

The Future of Work

Q:What new jobs might AI create that don't exist today?
Q:Will the concept of "a job" change fundamentally?
Q:How might education need to change?
Q:What does "meaningful work" look like in an AI world?

Interactive Activities

Job Risk Bingo

Create bingo cards with different jobs. Students use displacement.ai to find risk scores. First to complete a row of "high risk" or "low risk" jobs wins.

Career Comparison Debate

Divide class into teams. Each team advocates for why their assigned career is a good choice despite (or because of) its AI risk profile.

Future Job Invention

Students invent a job that doesn't exist yet but might in 2035. They present: What does it involve? Why will it exist? What skills are needed?

Task Automation Analysis

Break down a familiar job into tasks. Students decide which tasks AI can do, which need humans, and which will be hybrid. Discuss disagreements.

Downloadable Materials

PDF resources you can print and use in your classroom. All materials are free for educational use.

Complete Lesson Plan Bundle

All 5 lesson plans in one PDF

Coming Soon

Student Worksheet Pack

Activity sheets and reflection prompts

Coming Soon

Discussion Question Cards

Printable cards for classroom discussions

Coming Soon

Want these materials sooner? Let us know and we will prioritize them.

Using These Resources?

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Quick Start: Use in Class Today

1Open displacement.ai and search for a job students are familiar with (e.g., "teacher", "nurse")

2Walk through the risk score and analysis together, discussing each factor

3Have students analyze careers they are interested in individually or in groups

4Facilitate discussion using questions from the themes below

Lesson Plans

Introduction to AI and Automation

High School / Intro College45-60 minutes

Learning Objectives

-Define artificial intelligence and automation
-Distinguish between narrow AI and general AI
-Identify AI applications in everyday life

Activities

-Class brainstorm: "Where did you encounter AI today?"
-Video: Show a 5-minute AI overview (suggestions: Kurzgesagt, Vox)
-Group activity: Sort tasks into "Human," "AI," or "Both" categories

Discussion Questions

What makes some tasks easier for AI than others?
Can you think of a job where AI would struggle?
How do you feel about working alongside AI?

AI Terminology Glossary Task Sorting Worksheet (PDF)

Understanding AI Job Displacement Risk

High School / College45-60 minutes

Learning Objectives

-Explain what job displacement means
-Analyze factors that make jobs more or less vulnerable
-Evaluate their own career interests through a risk lens

Activities

-Interactive demo: Use displacement.ai to analyze 3-5 jobs as a class
-Small groups: Research and present on one job category
-Individual: Analyze a career you're interested in

Discussion Questions

Why do some jobs have higher risk than others?
Is a high-risk job necessarily a bad career choice?
How might these jobs change instead of disappear?

displacement.ai Job Search Risk Factor Breakdown

The History of Technological Disruption

High School / College45-60 minutes

Learning Objectives

-Compare AI disruption to historical technological shifts
-Identify patterns in how societies adapt to change
-Evaluate whether "this time is different"

Activities

-Timeline creation: Major technological disruptions (steam, electricity, computers)
-Case study: A job that was transformed (switchboard operator, bank teller)
-Debate: "AI disruption will be more disruptive than previous changes"

Discussion Questions

What jobs existed 50 years ago that don't exist now?
What new jobs were created by computers?
How did workers adapt to previous changes?

Historical Job Changes Timeline

Building AI-Resilient Skills

High School / College / Professional45-60 minutes

Learning Objectives

-Identify skills that complement AI capabilities
-Distinguish between automatable and non-automatable skills
-Create a personal skill development plan

Activities

-Skills audit: List your current skills and categorize by AI-resistance
-Group discussion: What skills are uniquely human?
-Individual: Draft a skill development plan for the next 5 years

Discussion Questions

Why are soft skills becoming more valuable?
How can you use AI as a tool rather than compete with it?
What skills should schools prioritize teaching?

Skills Assessment Template

Ethics of AI and Employment

High School / College60-90 minutes

Learning Objectives

-Analyze ethical considerations in AI deployment
-Evaluate responsibility for displacement
-Consider policy responses to AI disruption

Activities

-Case study: AI hiring systems and bias
-Role play: Stakeholder perspectives (worker, employer, developer, policymaker)
-Policy proposal: Students draft one recommendation

Discussion Questions

Who is responsible when AI displaces workers?
Should there be limits on automation?
How should the benefits of AI be distributed?

AI Ethics Framework

Discussion Questions by Theme

Personal Career Planning

Q:How might AI change the career you're considering?
Q:What steps can you take now to prepare for an AI-augmented workplace?
Q:Would you choose a lower-risk career even if it paid less?
Q:How do you balance passion with practical risk assessment?

Societal Impact

Q:Should workers displaced by AI receive special support? What kind?
Q:How might AI change income inequality?
Q:What should the role of education be in preparing for AI?
Q:Could AI lead to more leisure time, or just more unemployment?

Critical Thinking About AI

Q:How reliable are predictions about AI's impact?
Q:What biases might exist in AI displacement studies?
Q:Are the most-cited statistics sensationalized or understated?
Q:How can you evaluate AI claims in the media?

The Future of Work

Q:What new jobs might AI create that don't exist today?
Q:Will the concept of "a job" change fundamentally?
Q:How might education need to change?
Q:What does "meaningful work" look like in an AI world?

Interactive Activities

Job Risk Bingo

Create bingo cards with different jobs. Students use displacement.ai to find risk scores. First to complete a row of "high risk" or "low risk" jobs wins.

Career Comparison Debate

Divide class into teams. Each team advocates for why their assigned career is a good choice despite (or because of) its AI risk profile.

Future Job Invention

Students invent a job that doesn't exist yet but might in 2035. They present: What does it involve? Why will it exist? What skills are needed?

Task Automation Analysis

Break down a familiar job into tasks. Students decide which tasks AI can do, which need humans, and which will be hybrid. Discuss disagreements.

Downloadable Materials

PDF resources you can print and use in your classroom. All materials are free for educational use.

Complete Lesson Plan Bundle

All 5 lesson plans in one PDF

Coming Soon

Student Worksheet Pack

Activity sheets and reflection prompts

Coming Soon

Discussion Question Cards

Printable cards for classroom discussions

Coming Soon

Want these materials sooner? Let us know and we will prioritize them.