Module Check: The Cutting Edge
You have reached the end of Module M1: The Cutting Edge. Over the past nine lessons, you have explored the AI frontier — what it is, what drives it forward, which breakthroughs reshaped it, and how to think critically about the claims that surround it. Before moving on, let us make sure the key ideas are firmly in place. This module check has three parts: a flashcard vocabulary review, a set of challenge questions that span the whole module, and a synthesis activity where you put everything together.
Part 1: Key Terms Review
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
Part 2: Module Challenge Questions
A student argues: 'AI is in the Solved zone for all language tasks because large language models can write essays and answer questions.' What is the most accurate response?
The compute used to train leading AI models has roughly doubled every six to twelve months for a decade. What is the most accurate way to describe this trend?
Which two factors combined to make AlexNet's 2012 ImageNet victory a turning point rather than just a one-time result?
A tech company releases a demo video showing their new AI robot folding laundry perfectly. A journalist writes: 'AI has finally solved household robotics.' Apply the five-question framework from Lesson 8 — which criticism is most directly applicable?
What does the concept of 'emergent capability' reveal about the challenge of AI safety and governance?
Part 3: Synthesis
The Frontier Brief
- Imagine you have been asked to brief a new student who just joined your class and missed the entire module. You have five minutes and one page. Write your brief using the following structure:
- Section 1 — What the AI Frontier Is (3-4 sentences): Explain the frontier concept in your own words, including the three zones of AI capability.
- Section 2 — What Drives Progress (3-4 sentences): Describe the three engines of AI advancement and give one concrete historical example of them working together.
- Section 3 — Three Breakthroughs That Mattered (one sentence each): Choose three from the module timeline. For each, name it, date it, and say in one sentence what it made possible.
- Section 4 — Hype vs. Real Progress (3-4 sentences): Explain the hype cycle in plain language and give your new classmate one practical test they can apply immediately to evaluate the next AI headline they see.
- Section 5 — Your Honest Assessment (2-3 sentences): Tell your classmate which part of the AI frontier you personally find most exciting, most concerning, or most surprising — and briefly explain why.
- After completing the brief, exchange with a classmate and give each other one piece of feedback: what was clearest in their brief, and what one thing would they add or clarify?