A new background paper commissioned by UNESCO takes a closer look at the global debate over whether and when children should use AI at school. Titled Is there a right age for AI in education? Deciding whether AI is age-appropriate and why, the paper by Sonia Livingstone, Kim R. Sylwander, Sandra El Gemayel and Ayça Atabey reviews the evidence across early childhood, primary and secondary education.
The paper is organised around four main areas. It first examines whether AI benefits children’s educational progress, finding some gains in subjects such as mathematics and language learning, but limited evidence overall, especially for younger children. It then sets out five priority risks from the early years through adolescence: educational, data, inequality, cultural and linguistic, and social and emotional risks.
Next, it looks at law and regulation, noting that influential frameworks in the US and EU converge around the ages of 13, 16, and 18 as markers. Finally, it presents case studies from China, India, Norway, the UAE, and the UK, showing how differently countries are approaching the question.
The paper concludes with recommendations for ministries of education, including applying the precautionary principle and conducting child rights impact assessments, with a practical decision tree to guide policymakers.
📄Read the full paper here
🔗 More information here
🔗 Related MLA News item: The European Commission’s Proposal for EU KIDS Act