{
  "id": 9563396,
  "title": "Unlike many parents, children are fearless around AI",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/unlike-many-parents-children-are-fearless-around-ai",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-24T13:40:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-parents-children-fearless-ai.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Researchers in the University of California's College of Arts and Sciences quizzed 41 children between the ages of 5 and 10 who played three games with Miko, a robot powered by generative AI. The children tended to unquestioningly accept the AI's statements as factual and showed considerable eagerness to interact with the robot, even if they had never encountered one before. This stands in contrast to the apprehensions many parents express regarding AI, according to UC assistant professor Kelly Merrill Jr. Merrill observed that children are \"extremely excited about robots and AI,\" which contrasts sharply with the concerns voiced by their parents. The lead researcher and his collaborator, UC Niefhoff Professor Nancy Jennings, presented their findings at the Comm Horizons conference at the University of California, Davis. Jennings emphasized the necessity of imparting AI literacy to young children to help them understand both the capabilities and limitations of this emerging technology. As AI becomes ubiquitous, Jennings stated, it will be imperative to educate children at an early age to employ critical thinking about these tools and discuss their experiences with their parents. Families with young children are typically more receptive to adopting new technologies than other demographics, she added. The study notes that interactive computer toys gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when social distancing limited group playdates among children. These toys could provide educational benefits, such as enhancing children's conversational skills, vocabulary, and listening abilities. Jennings also noted that the robots may be particularly appealing to children who have limited social opportunities outside of school. When asked after playing with Miko whether they considered it a toy, a friend, or something else, some children, especially those who had difficulties making friends at school, described Miko as a friend who would not judge them or make them feel bullied. Some toymakers have faced criticism for not adequately implementing age-appropriate safeguards. A recent risk assessment conducted by Common Sense Media found that the toys frequently produced age-inappropriate content. Consumer advocacy groups, such as the nonprofit Public Interest Research Group, express concerns about the privacy implications. During the experiment, UC researchers observed some of Miko's built-in safety mechanisms when children engaged in the Story Maker program. If the child began narrating a story involving too much horror or firearms, Miko would interject, \"That sounds scary. Let's do something else.\" Merrill stressed that AI tools are not substitutes but rather complementary to human interactions. He further added that people should not be attempting to replace each other with AI. UC researchers discovered that half of the children in the study regularly utilized AI agents at home, with the most common usage being requesting music via AI assistants like Siri or Alexa. Merrill commented on the ubiquity of AI in children's lives, noting that one of the children even overheard the familiar voice of Siri interrupting a conversation with a song recommendation from Apple Music. The researchers noted that AI-powered robots are becoming familiar to the children they interviewed. Merrill mused about the implications of this familiarity, highlighting the need for children to learn to critically evaluate AI outputs.",
  "summary": "Researchers in UC's College of Arts and Sciences spoke to 41 children ages 5 to 10 after inviting them to play three interactive games with Miko, a commercially available robot that uses generative AI.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}