says 58 percent of teens have used or use chatbots and that 53 percent use ChatGPT instead of Google for searches. A rapidly growing number of them are beginning to rely on these bots for their homework assignments too.—a process that’s also referred to as social and emotional learning .
AI is already being used in classrooms and many teachers are finding creative and effective ways to incorporate it into class learning. Embracing such innovation as tools to education is necessary and could lead to positive learning outcomes, Kim explained. The technology can help save teachers time on tasks such as ideation for lesson plans or managing student data. However, Kim warns that it can never replace social and emotional skills learned from a parent or an educator.
Of course, it isn't a panacea. Children still need to interact with other people to learn social and emotional skills. If a child is talking to a chatbot or smart speaker but not friends, they're not setting themselves up for emotional health in the long run, Brandin said. That’s why they recommend encouraging kids to try out these “drafts” on trusted humans like their parents.
“Is the organization behind the AI being responsible?” she said. “Is the AI age-appropriate for kids and research-based? Does the company thoroughly and continuously test its products to mitigate bias and any potential harms?”