A 10-year review of 30 studies involving children ages 5–18 found that AI education is not simply about learning how to write a prompt. Researchers argue that children need opportunities to “question, critique, and transform” AI systems and understand the social, cultural, and ethical forces behind them.
Summer provides opportunities to help children to practice reflection, agency, and civic participation. We can teach them to shape technology rather than simply consume it.
Ask who benefits
The researchers encourage children to examine the “power relations” embedded in AI systems.
What this might look like:
- Ask why YouTube, TikTok, or a game recommended a particular video or product. Who benefits from them choosing that recommendation?
- Discuss how companies make money from clicks, views, and attention.
- Compare recommendations received by different family members and discuss why they might differ.
Notice included voices and missing voices
The framework calls for examining issues of “bias, inclusion, and exclusion.”
What this might look like:
- Ask whether an AI-generated answer reflects different perspectives. Which ideas are represented and which are missing?
- Compare information from AI with a book, trusted website, or family member.
- Discuss whether everyone might experience a situation the same way.
Children as future creators, not just users
The authors argue that children should be empowered to “transform” technology, not simply consume it.
What this might look like:
- Ask, “If you could design an AI for kids, what would it do?”
- Invite children to create rules that would make a chatbot more fair or helpful.
- Discuss ways technology could better support families, schools, or communities.
The goal isn’t to raise AI experts. It’s to raise curious citizens who understand that technology is created by people, shaped by values, and capable of being improved.