Kids' True AI Views: Study Aids, Companionship, and Deepfake Fears
When adults discuss children and artificial intelligence, strong opinions quickly emerge. Parents, policymakers, and experts frequently debate how young people should engage with AI, how their exposure should be managed, and its potential influence on their cognitive processes and communication. Much of this discourse centers on education, fueled by concerns that students might misuse tools like ChatGPT for research, essay writing, or solving complex math problems. Educators, in particular, grapple with balancing the policing of AI use with integrating it into their teaching methods. A 2024 Pew survey highlighted this tension, revealing that a quarter of public school teachers believe AI does more harm than good, with many more undecided. Subsequent research indicated a significant rise in AI adoption, with 26 percent of US teens reporting ChatGPT use for schoolwork, double the figure from the previous year. Yet, young people’s interaction with AI extends far beyond the classroom, encompassing everything from seeking companionship to soliciting advice. To understand this evolving relationship from their perspective, WIRED recently engaged with six young individuals across the United States, uncovering their candid thoughts on AI and its transformative impact on their lives.
For many students, AI serves as a powerful academic aid, albeit one requiring careful navigation. Fifteen-year-old Leo Schodorf from Los Angeles avoids direct answers from AI to prevent cheating, preferring to leverage it for source identification or to generate study questions from his biology guide. Similarly, Siddhi Singh, 17, from Colorado, finds AI invaluable for streamlining tasks like creating to-do lists or condensing study materials. She acknowledges, however, that AI is “terrible at writing essays” due to its conspicuously artificial output. Both Leo and Siddhi emphasize personal responsibility: while AI can enhance efficiency, relying on it to complete all work can erode fundamental skills and foster laziness.
Beyond academic assistance, AI sparks a range of reactions, from profound utility to deep-seated apprehension. Siddhi, for instance, harnessed AI’s power in a practical application, developing a car-mounted device that uses computer vision to detect deer, training it with hundreds of thermal video frames to prevent collisions. This demonstrates AI’s potential for real-world problem-solving. In contrast, 15-year-old Mahawa Kaba from the Bronx harbors significant reservations. Once an occasional user for homework, she now shuns AI due to her school’s strict anti-AI policy. Mahawa also voices environmental concerns regarding AI’s energy consumption and worries about its pervasive influence on social interaction, fearing automated responses could turn individuals into “robots.” Leo, too, expresses unease about the increasing realism of AI-generated videos and audio, calling it “the scariest part of AI,” and humorously admits to always saying “please and thank you” to ChatGPT “just in case” AI takes over.
The creative sphere is another area where AI’s presence elicits strong opinions. Nora Pai, a 14-year-old visual artist from Manhattan, expresses anxiety over AI’s ability to instantly generate art and music. Having invested significant time in honing her craft, she laments that AI trivializes the laborious process of creation, stripping away the satisfaction derived from effort and progress. This sentiment resonates with 12-year-old Finn King from Alabama, who notes the ironic twist in AI’s evolution: once envisioned as a tool that would handle mundane tasks, freeing humans for artistic pursuits, it is now often used by people lacking the patience to create art themselves. Finn, who first encountered AI through a viral “Will Smith eating spaghetti” deepfake, also worries about the escalating realism of synthetic media, which blurs the line between reality and deception, creating dangerous opportunities for malicious actors. He muses that while AI could have ushered in a utopia, its development has been steered by capitalist interests, prioritizing profit over broader societal benefit.
Amidst these varied perspectives, a compelling argument emerges for a more proactive approach to AI education. Gabrielle Watkins, a 16-year-old from an AI-themed high school in Georgia, embodies this philosophy. Her school integrates AI into the curriculum, teaching students not just how to use it, but why. Gabrielle uses AI to streamline monotonous tasks, from categorizing vast datasets for a human geography project to organizing notes and providing late-night study help via tools like Copilot and Photomath. She contends that rather than banning AI, schools should embrace it, treating it like any other powerful tool—be it a bicycle or a smartphone—by first equipping students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills to use it responsibly. Her generation, she asserts, is inherently resourceful and will find ways to access and utilize AI regardless of prohibitions, making comprehensive guidance essential.
The diverse views of these young people paint a nuanced picture of AI’s burgeoning role in their lives. Far from being passive recipients of adult anxieties, they are active participants, grappling with its ethical dilemmas, harnessing its potential, and voicing prescient concerns about its societal implications. Their insights underscore the urgent need for a balanced approach that fosters responsible use, critical thinking, and open dialogue, rather than relying on fear or prohibition.