AI experts have called for the development of regulation to have a greater focus on the technology’s use by children, the demographic likely to be most affected by the technology over their lifetimes.
New research published by the Alan Turing Institute has found that almost a quarter (22%) of children aged 8-12 are regularly using generative AI.
The group has therefore called on regulators and businesses to explore how young people interact with the technology and incorporate the findings on future product development and policy.
The research from the institute, which is the national data science and AI research organisation, was supported by LEGO Group.
It found that 76% of parents reported worrying about the impact of generative AI on their child’s critical thinking skills, while 52% of teachers expressed concern over the increased integration of AI into schoolwork.
“Children’s experiences with this technology are significantly different from those of adults, so it is crucial that we listen to their perspectives to understand their particular needs and interests,” said Dr Mhairi Aitken, senior ethics fellow at the Alan Turing Institute.
“In doing so, we can mitigate the risks and enable age-appropriate generative AI tools to be developed safely to provide benefits to the young people who use it.”
The report has urged policymakers to actively seek the perspectives of children as they develop laws governing AI.
It has also recommended including AI literacy as part of the wider curriculum, to address issues such as bias, plagiarism and AI’s environmental impact.
“We are determined to break down the barriers to opportunity to ensure every child growing up in our country gets a cutting-edge education – and that includes access to the best tech innovations for all,” said Early Education Minister Stephen Morgan.
“Child-centred policy making is at the heart of our mission to give every child the best start in life. This includes harnessing the power of technology to support our hard-working teachers and unlock more face time with pupils, driving high and rising education standards that set young people up to achieve and thrive.”
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