It, Robot: Could Teaching Kids To Be AI-Savvy Early On Build Their Confidence And Ease Future Anxiety?

With artificial intelligence systems entering the mainstream, researchers say teaching kids to call robots "it" can help develop healthy boundaries. According to an article from the Wall Street Journal, a growing number of studies are encouraging childhood AI education beyond coding. If kids understand how an AI system works, they can be more comfortable controlling and mastering it. In a 2018 study, for example, 1 in 4 kids thought a robot would be better at solving a puzzle than them. Using the pronoun "it" teaches children that AI is inhuman, capable of error, and even manipulation.