This roundtable brought together a diverse group of participants from research and practice, representing perspectives on the digitalization of society, AI legalization, AI in education, children’s development, and children-technology relations. One focus of this roundtable was on how AI technologies impact children at an early age. In northern Europe, most children have grown up in a world that is intimately connected to technology. They have been exposed to various devices, from home computers and smart-phones to digital games and social media platforms. These technologies have provided children with pre-designed interaction possibilities that are limited to the parameters set by the designers. However, with the advent of AI-powered devices, children now have the opportunity to interact with a system that can learn by input and act as an artificial companion.
This report is based on the discussions and conclusions from the CRM on the topic of AI, education and children. The event took place on 19 April, 2023.