Learning to think & thinking to learn: The implications of AI for the next generation
At our event Shaping AI for the Next Generation on Wednesday the 14th of May, we were joined by an expert panel to explore the implications of AI for young people.
Dr Anthony Bridgen, Programme Coordinator for the Oxford Global Challenges Programme, reflects on this timely discussion.
Since the release of OpenAI’s GPT-3 in 2020, Generative AI has rapidly become a fixture of our lives, ingrained in many of the existing technologies we use, and flooding digital spaces with AI-generated material.
In the scramble to catch up with the implications this has for our lives and livelihoods, we have neglected to inspect the impact this technology will have on the generation(s) growing up alongside it. It is this global challenge which Generation AI and Codex set out to explore through the event, Shaping AI for the Next Generation. With a panel representing expertise from research and policy to investment and public broadcasting, this event took a deep dive into the challenges (and opportunities) which AI presents for young people.
A key theme arising throughout the 90 minutes of discussion, was the importance of giving young people agency and taking a child-rights based approach when it comes to AI regulation – highlighting initiatives such as the Children and AI Code developed by 5Rights Foundation. When establishing guardrails in this space, it is vital that we make decisions with, not for, children.
Panellists raised the important point that we must transition our education systems away from assessment-based learning, toward one which teaches our young people how to engage critically with information. In interacting with generative AI and its potential for misinformation, it is important to know how to ask the right question and interpret the answer – considering the potential biases, veracity of sources, and alignment with own knowledge.
We also explored the paucity of understanding around how AI affects young people’s development, the way in which they form and perceive relationships, and their approach to work. It is evident that more research is needed, both to understand the impacts of AI on children, and identify ways in which we can ensure that impact is a positive one. Developing a strong evidence base is a vital step in establishing effective strategies to address this.
Like the calculator, AI is a tool, and as with any tool overreliance, overuse or misuse of AI can result in harm. As such, instead of trying to restrict children's access and use, we should prioritise teaching our children how to use AI, its environmental cost, the risks it poses, and the rewards it can bring.
Whether AI should be part of our society is an open question, but now that it is, we must seize the opportunity to look beyond the horizon toward a future that is not just AI-rich, but in which everyone is enriched.
Watch highlights from the event below