‘Alexa, tell me a joke’: How talking to AI impacts young children’s development
Experts are examining how frequent interactions with AI voice assistants like Alexa and Siri might influence the linguistic and cognitive development of young children. The study suggests that the unique, patient, and non-human nature of AI conversations differs significantly from human social learning.
Why it matters
As AI becomes ubiquitous in households, understanding its long-term impact on child development is critical for parents and educators.
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Children using AI assistants may have an effect on their linguistic development
Children are innately curious, and throughout any given day they come up with all manner of questions: Why don’t fish have hair? Why do flowers wilt so quickly? Their need to understand the world — and develop their language skills and ideas — makes them tireless conversationalists.
While their inquiries would usually be directed at parents or teachers, in modern homes even the youngest kids might now talk to a digital interface like Siri or Alexa. These AI systems are fast becoming part of many children’s everyday lives, as kids ask them to play music, help with their homework, answer questions, or just chat to them.
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