Understanding the impacts of generative AI use on children
The Alan Turing Institute has launched a groundbreaking research initiative focused on understanding how generative AI is being used by and for children, bringing together voices from education, psychology, data science, and technology ethics. Titled Understanding the Impacts of Generative AI Use on Children, the collaborative effort presents a vivid and timely picture of how young people are engaging with AI tools across different contexts in their daily lives.
The research is structured across two major strands. The first work package draws on survey responses from over one thousand children aged between nine and eigthteen and nearly nine hundred parents and carers across the UK. The results confirm what most of us belive, generative AI is already playing a significant role in children’s education, creativity, and communication, with many young users experimenting with tools for homework support, idea generation, and even emotional expression. The second work package of the undertaking brings the study into the classroom, with researchers conducting fieldwork in fifteen secondary schools. Through detailed classroom observations and interviews with teachers and students, the team explored how generative AI is shaping learning experiences, influencing student motivation, and raising new questions about accuracy, trust, and fairness.
The project concludes with a clear set of evidence-based recommendations aimed at developers, educators, and policymakers. These recommendations stress the importance of making generative AI tools safe, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate for children. They also call for the integration of digital literacy into the curriculum, and for stronger guidance to help adults support young people in navigating this rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Explore the full research here:
