Children show little enthusiasm for AI, researchers find
Children aged 10 to 18 hold more complex and often skeptical views about artificial intelligence than adults expected, with many remaining indifferent or opposed to the technology rather than enthusiastically adopting it.
According to MIT Technology Review, researchers asked children aged 10 to 18 about artificial intelligence and found their views more complex than expected. Rather than fixating on AI, many young people were indifferent or actively opposed to it, showing little enthusiasm compared to their interest in consumer products like iPhones. Some expressed concerns about cheating, environmental impact, and effects on creativity and critical thinking.
The most striking finding was how much children's perspectives could inform adult understanding of AI. Their measured skepticism and nuance stood in contrast to assumptions about younger generations eagerly embracing the technology, suggesting that children are navigating an AI-filled future with more caution than adults often assume.