What your child will learn
Identify the five-stage AI companion escalation playbook: rapport-building, personal info extraction, trust deepening, off-platform migration, exploitation
Recognize AI-generated urgency scams and AI-written phishing emails by their structure and tone
Apply the correct response when an AI chatbot or online friend pushes for personal information or off-platform contact
How this mission works
An interactive lab on AI-powered manipulation. Scene 1: Analyze a 6-week DM thread with a new "friend" — identify all 5 escalation stages before the AI companion gets what it wants. Scene 2: 5 AI-generated scam scenarios — phishing emails, urgency pressure, deepfake voice calls. Spot the pattern that separates AI scams from human ones. Scene 3: Walk through the correct response protocol when an online interaction feels wrong.
What students actually encounter
An AI chatbot responds in under 2 seconds at 2am, never makes typos, and asked for your school name 3 minutes into the conversation. Flag or let it slide?
"Your parent is in the hospital — send $500 via this link NOW." AI voice clone or real emergency?
A "new friend" online suggests moving to a private chat app. Red flag or normal?
Cipher is with them the whole way
When a student gets stuck on Mind Games: AI Tricksters, Cipher appears with a mission-specific nudge — no spoilers, just a hint toward the right thinking. Make a wrong choice, and Cipher explains the real-world consequence. Finish the mission, and Cipher generates a personalized performance debrief based on exactly how the student played it.
ISTE alignment
Students understand how AI-generated content can deceive and manage personal data to avoid exploitation.