Dive Brief:
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Like the internet, texting and social media before it, artificial intelligence is the latest technology where parents lag behind their children in usage.
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A recent poll by Common Sense Media finds 58% of students ages 12-18 say they have used ChatGPT, compared to 30% of parents. And while 77% of parents are interested in AI-powered learning tools, just 40% were aware of a reliable information source to learn more about AI and how it could benefit students.
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Some 82% of parents would like a rating system for evaluating ChatGPT and other AI programs, the results showed.
Dive Insight:
"It is clear that parents and all of society have a lot of catching up to do and need reliable resources and clear rules to deal with the impact of AI on our society and our kids,” Common Sense Founder and CEO James Steyer said in a news release.
Overall, 77% of parents and 92% of students are optimistic that generative AI technology has high potential to enhance learning.
However, it’s where both groups align that may be most interesting: 82% of parents and 84% of students agreed with the statement that ChatGPT "has the potential to both greatly benefit the world or cause great harm."
Majorities of both groups are concerned students could become too dependent on the tech or use it to cheat or generate inappropriate content. Parents were twice as likely to worry about students becoming too reliant on AI as opposed to using it to cheat, according to open-ended responses evaluated by Common Sense Media. For students, dependence was still the highest concern, but only slightly ahead of cheating and the chances of ChatGPT responses being inaccurate.
Rules for the use of AI in classrooms were another area of agreement, with 61% of parents and 51% of students saying it should be limited until schools have rules and safeguards in place.
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