Z is for Zero-Shot Learning - ABCs of AI (Elementary School+)

Hey, hey! You made it to the end of our special ABCs of AI series.

In this final episode of the ABCs of AI, we land on the letter Z for Zero-Shot Learning, a fancy AI term that we break down so it makes sense for kids and their grown ups. We talk about how AI can make smart guesses about things it has never “seen” before, why that can be powerful, and why it can also be risky if the data behind it is biased or unfair.

Kids will hear a clear reminder that they are the real thinkers in the room and that AI still needs humans in the loop to check, correct, and question what it says.

You’ll also learn a screen free game you can try at home, in class, or after-school:

• Guess That Thing – a no-tech describing and guessing game that helps kids experience zero shot learning using only clues, imagination, and everyday objects.
• A fun bonus round with made up creatures like “rainbow sloths” and “flying pancake robots” to stretch those creative muscles.

If your family has enjoyed learning the ABCs of AI with us, you do not have to stop here. Our full ABCs of AI Activity Deck is live on Kickstarter, packed with 130 screen free activities that help kids and their grown ups explore real AI concepts through games, stories, challenges, audio, and hands on fun. You can:

• Get a deck for your family
• Donate one to a school or library
• Grab an ABCs of AI poster

👉 Kickstarter
👉 Learn more: https://aidigicards.com/

Have an idea for the next series or a kid who is learning about AI at home or at school and wants to be on the show? Have their grown up email me at contact@aidigitales.com.

Chapters

• 0:58 Welcome And Series Finale
• 1:31 Z Is For Zero‑Shot Learning
• 2:14 Power And Risks Of Smart Guesses
• 3:56 Screen‑Free Game: Guess That Thing
• 4:59 ABCs Of AI Deck On Kickstarter
• 5:40 Gratitude, Next Series, And Subscribe

Transcript

Amber Ivey (AI): 0:29

Welcome to the AI for Kids Podcast, the podcast for moms, aunties, and teachers who want the kids they love to understand AI without more screen time. We keep it simple, safe, and fun. No tech degree required. Each episode breaks down AI ideas and includes activities to help kids use AI in ways that keep them curious and creative. No pressure, no overwhelm, no extra screens. Just clear, engaging learning you can feel good about. Let's get started. Hey, hey, welcome back to AI for Kids Podcast. I'm Amber Ivy or AI, and you've made it all the way through to the end of our special series, The ABCs of AI. We've talked through algorithms, jumped into neural networks, peeked into vision and voice. And now here we are at our final letter Z. I'm a little sad, but it has been such an amazing journey. And if you've been learning along with your family, teachers, or classmates, I just want to say, man, you rock. Before we jump in, if you or someone you know wants to be on the podcast to share how you're learning about AI, maybe at school, maybe at home, send me a note with your parents at contact ataidigitels.com. I'd love to hear from you. Alright, let's wrap this up in style. Zeke is for zero shot learning. So what in the world is zero shot learning? Okay, let's say I've never seen a koala bear before. Not a single picture of what it looks like. But someone tells me it's gray, fuzzy, kind of like a teddy bear, eats leaves, and lives in trees in Australia. Later I see an animal that matches that description. I say, hey, that must be a koala. That's zero shot learning. In AI, zero shot learning is when a computer or robot can make a smart guess about something it's never seen before. It's just based on what it's been told or what it already knows. Now imagine asking an AI to tell a story about a moon giraffe in space pajamas. Even if you've never seen one, it might use clues to guess what that could look like or how it might behave. It uses logic and patterns, not practice or examples, because remember, it doesn't have it and doesn't know. That's pretty cool, but also a little risky. So there are some dangers to watch out for. With zero shot learning, it can be super powerful, but it's not perfect as we always talk about. If an AI has bad training data or biases in what it reads or things that are not true or slanted in one direction or another, it might make wrong or unfair guesses, especially about people. That's why it's so important that we keep humans in the loop. That means real people checking, correcting, and teaching the AI. So if an AI says something that feels wrong or unfair, trust your gut and talk to a grown-up. AI is smart, but you are the real thinker in the room. Do you want an activity or game to try at home? Let's try guess that thing. This game explores zero shot learning without any screens. Here's how it works. So what do you need? One person to describe, one person to guess, and then a bowl of random household objects or animal action cards, no peeking. How do you play this game? The describer picks something from the bowl and explains it without saying its name. Use clues like it's round, you throw it and it bounces, or it has four legs, it purrs and likes milk. The guesser tries to figure out what it is, even if they've never seen or touched it before. That's exactly what zero shot learning looks like. So, bonus round, make up new made-up creatures. Describe something imaginary like a rainbow sloth or a flying pancake robot and see if the other person can guess what you're thinking of. And if you want more of this, feel free to grab our deck. If you've had fun learning the ABCs of AI, don't stop here. Our full ABCs of AI activity deck is live on Kickstarter and is packed with 130 screen-free activities that help kids and their grown-ups explore how AI works through games, story, challenges, audio, and hands-on fun. Each card covers a real AI concept, just like the ones we talked about through this ABCs of AI series, but it takes it even deeper and it allows you to explore different concepts in different ways and way more hands-on. You can get your deck, donate one to a school, or even get a poster with the ABCs of AI. Have your parents visit our Kickstarter with the link is in the bio, and join us in making sure every kid can understand the future they're growing up in. Alright, I know AI may seem complicated, but the truth is you're already doing the hard stuff. Keep asking questions, keep using your imagination, keep thinking critically, and that that's something no AI can ever replace. Thank you all so much for listening. Thanks for learning and thanks for making the future brighter. One ABC letter and AI concept at a time. Who knows what we're gonna have next in two more weeks? I'm thinking about a new series. If you have ideas or if you want to share what you think the new series should be about, have your parents email me at contact ataidigitales.com and you could have the next idea for the next series. See you next time. Stay curious. Bye bye. Thank you for joining us as we explore the fascinating world of artificial intelligence. Don't keep this adventure to yourself. Download it, share it with your friends, and let everyone else in on the fun. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube. See you next time on AI for kids.