Minecraft Education teaches kids the dangers of AI through a noir detective lens — encouraging artificial intelligence literacy

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On September 16, 2025, Minecraft released a new program for students aged 8-18 called Reed Smart: AI Detective, designed for use with Minecraft: Education Edition.

This is an adventure game inspired by classic film noir detective stories. You play as detective Reed Smart, working to solve a case involving someone who’s using artificial intelligence for malicious purposes.

Throughout the game, Reed Smart will show players how AI can create incredibly realistic fake videos to spread false information, and importantly, how to spot these tricks and find the real story.

Reed Smart: AI Detective is broken down into three acts:

  • Case 1: The Deepest Fake—Case 1 teaches the players how convincing AI-generated videos can be, and tasks them to discover which video is fake by looking beyond surface-level appearances and using multiple sources to info in context.
  • Case 2: An Ode to Deception— Case 2 educates the players on AI detection tools, their pros and cons, and how relying too much on technology without applying your own human judgment, can lead to false accusations.
  • Case 3: Dine & Deceive— Case 3 demonstrates how AI can convince uninformed people by conjuring up wrong information, and what the player can do identify false information through the use of verification, even when AI uses authoritative language.

Players will investigate these cases by talking to witnesses, checking their stories against the evidence, spotting fake testimonies created using AI, and gathering reliable information to find the truth.

Reed Smart: AI Detective helps players develop crucial skills to identify false information created by AI. These skills aren’t just useful within the game – they’ll help players spot fake news and misinformation in the real world too.

These skills include checking information by exploring multiple sources, verifying its accuracy, and practicing ‘critical ignoring’ – the ability to stay focused and avoid getting distracted by sensational online content.

As players successfully identify AI-generated content, the game will visually reward them by gradually adding color to the otherwise black and white, film-noir environment, representing their increasing ability to understand and evaluate information.

Help your kids discern fake AI info today with Reed Smart: AI Detective

It’s great that Microsoft and Minecraft are teaming up to teach kids how to stay safe online. Their new program uses a fun, interactive approach to help them spot and avoid scams and tricks that use artificial intelligence.

I think this program could be especially useful for older adults in spotting deepfakes and false information. Those who didn’t grow up with computers or the internet may be less familiar with technology, making them more vulnerable to these kinds of tricks.

Always verify information from any source – whether it comes from a person or an AI – before forming your own opinion. Remember, don’t believe everything you hear or read.

As an analyst, I’m seeing a growing need to educate families about AI-powered scams. That’s why I’m highlighting Reed Smart: AI Detective, a tool designed to help identify misinformation. It’s currently available for download within Minecraft: Education for licensed users – and there’s a free demo for those who aren’t. Minecraft: Bedrock players can find it on the Minecraft Marketplace.

To learn more about AI Literacy, explore resources from Microsoft, including Reed Smart support, AI Foundations lessons, and a one-hour online course.

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2025-09-19 14:40