A New Study Suggests Kids Believe AI Assistants Might Have Feelings And Think Like Humans
Voice assistant devices that use AI, such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Home, are pretty smart due to their ability to perform a variety of tasks.
For instance, they can check the weather, launch your favorite playlist, record daily habits, and much more. But no matter how smart they are, they definitely don’t measure up to the intellectual skills of humans, especially since they cannot function on their own.
As adults, we know this as a fact, but to some elementary-aged children, it may be less clear. A study in Scotland has suggested that many kids ages six to 11 overestimate and misunderstand the intelligence of AI assistants, believing that the technologies might have feelings and can think like humans.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh gathered data by conducting interviews and questionnaires to reach their conclusions.
In total, they surveyed 166 children and discovered that 93 percent of them had a smart speaker at home. They reported using the gadgets to ask questions, listen to music, search for information, get help with homework, and listen to stories/jokes.
By 2025, it is estimated that 57 percent of households in the United States will own at least one smart home device, according to Statista. That means around 40 million kids will be exposed to these voice assistants.
The surveyed children’s familiarity with the technology may be the reason why they are uncertain about whether the devices have emotions or decision-making abilities. About one-third of the children believed smart speakers could think for themselves, while 40 percent thought “maybe”‘ they could.
“Children should be taught AI literacy in schools, and technology designers should take care that their AI products don’t mislead children into thinking they are human-like,” Judy Robertson, a co-author of the study and the chair of digital learning at the University of Edinburgh, said. “AI is often designed to appear more human and intelligent than it really is, which is very confusing for children.”
Furthermore, 68 percent of eight-year-olds stated that it wouldn’t be right to throw their Alexa away if the device breaks.
shara – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual child
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Older children were more likely to say that Alexa would feel left out if not included in a conversation—73 percent of 11-year-olds and 72 percent of 10-year-olds felt that way. The study sheds light on the risks young people’s misconceptions of smart speakers and AI pose.
“The findings reveal the importance of enhancing children’s awareness and understanding of AI-supported technology to ensure safe and responsible interactions with smart technologies,” said Valentina Andries, a co-author of the study.
AI is becoming a major part of children’s lives. So, it’s crucial for them, as well as adults of all ages, to recognize the limitations of smart devices.
Overall, children’s overestimation of smart technology’s capabilities shouldn’t harm them in terms of their cognitive development.
In fact, smart devices can help them learn more about the world. But it’s essential that they know how the technology works.
This study was published in the journal Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence.
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