Generative AI can be used to prompt critical thinking. One classroom example involved an AI-generated image of a spaghetti Bolognese disassembled into its ingredients. The image contained several inaccuracies, such as multiple types of pasta and excessive salt, which led to a rich classroom discussion about accuracy, authorship, and the limits of AI.

The activity also introduced students to the concept of knolling — a method of visually laying out a product’s component parts. This ties directly into existing D&T practice, especially when analysing products at Key Stage 4 and 5. These kinds of prompts show that AI outputs are not correct answers, but rather starting points for analysis and discussion.