Most US teens using AI without parents’ knowledge: Survey

Karah Rucker

TEENS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AHEAD OF THE CURVE WHEN IT COMES TO LEARNING NEW TECHNOLOGY – AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS NO EXCEPTION.

NOW, NEW RESEARCH SHOWS JUST HOW PROFICIENT TEENS ARE WITH A-I – AND HOW LITTLE PARENTS AND OTHER ADULTS REALLY KNOW ABOUT IT.

IN A RECENT SURVEY OF MORE THAN A THOUSAND U-S PARENTS AND THEIR TEENS…

THE NONPROFIT COMMON SENSE MEDIA FOUND 70 PERCENT OF THE TEENS THEY SURVEY HAD USED SOME FORM OF A-I…

BUT ONLY A LITTLE MORE THAN A THIRD OF THEIR PARENTS KNEW ABOUT IT.

WHILE NEARLY A QUARTER OF PARENTS BELIEVED THEIR KIDS HAD *NOT* USED A-I AT ALL.

AND WHILE TEENS MESS AROUND WITH A-I CHATBOTS TO STAVE OFF BOREDOM OR USE SEARCH ENGINES WITH A-I GENERATED RESULTS…

THE SURVEY FOUND TEENS ARE MOST COMMONLY USING THE TECHNOLOGY FOR HELP WITH THEIR HOMEWORK.

COMMON SENSE MEDIA FOUND A PRETTY EVEN SPLIT BETWEEN TEENS WHOSE TEACHERS GAVE THEM PERMISSION TO USE A-I FOR HELP WITH ASSIGNMENTS AND THOSE WHO DIDN’T GET PERMISSION. 

AND WHILE A-I CAN DEFINITELY COME IN HANDY – EXPERTS WITH COMMON SENSE MEDIA SAY PARENTS SHOULD TALK TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT THE PITFALLS ASSOCIATED WITH IT… LIKE ITS TENDENCY TO BE MORE BIASED THAN HUMANS – OR SHARE MISLEADING OR FLAT OUT WRONG INFORMATION.

THEY SAY IT MIGHT ALSO BE DIFFICULT FOR TEENS TO REALIZE WHEN USING A-I CROSSES THE BOUNDARY INTO CHEATING.

COMMON SENSE SAYS PARENTS SHOULD TEST OUT THE A-I TOOLS THEIR KIDS ARE USING *WITH* THEM – AND TALK ABOUT HOW TO DECIPHER IF THE A-I IS RIGHT OR WRONG.