Parents are cautiously optimistic about AI in schools

Key points:

While parents have concerns about their children's exposure to ai in the classroom, some would still support their children's use of ai for schoolwork, according to a survey by Norton, a Gen. 1 consumer cybersecurity brand.

While ai offers promising improvements for education, the ethical and safety implications give many parents pause. 93 percent of parents of children ages 5 and older are concerned about the use of ai in the classroom or at school, so the survey offers a deeper look into how parents feel about their children using ai. It also shares best practices for safely navigating the back-to-school season.

Parents' perspective on the dangers and benefits of ai in education

Parents of children aged 5 and older have mixed opinions about their children's use of ai. Among their top concerns:

• 51 percent are concerned about their children coming across inappropriate content.
• 50 percent are concerned that ai-generated content may be biased or incorrect and fear over-reliance on the technology.
• 46 percent are concerned about their children sharing personal information online.

Despite these concerns, many parents remain optimistic about the role of ai in their children’s lives and highlight the many ways it can be used to benefit children in the classroom. Norton found:

• Nearly half (49 percent) of parents said they would approve of their children using ai to complete schoolwork, compared with 35 percent of parents who support their older children using ai in the classroom.
  • 69 percent believe it should be used for research in classrooms or at school.
  • 48 percent trust lesson plans and curriculum created with ai tools.
• On the other hand, only a quarter (25 percent) of parents with children aged 5 or older are very confident that teachers will be able to identify assignments or essays produced by ai.

We help keep children cyber safe

Here are some tips to help keep your kids cyber safe at school this year:

• Protecting personal information: Educate your children on how to protect their personal information, regardless of whether they interact with artificial intelligence platforms or chatbots.
• Check website security and use a VPN: It is important for you and your children to check the browser connection and URLs to ensure that a site is safe, especially when accessing artificial intelligence tools or platforms.
• Enable age-appropriate settings: Using ai settings designed for different age groups will help ensure your family is set up for success when handling ai tools and platforms.
• Promote integrity and responsibility: Norton advises parents and teachers to talk to children and students about the importance of integrity and conscientious behavior as a fundamental step in cybersecurity.

This press release ai-in-Schools-Content-Safety-and-Data-Privacy-Among-Top-Worries” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Originally appeared online.

The eSchool Media staff covers educational technology in all its aspects, from legislation and litigation to best practices, lessons learned, and new products. First published in March 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information needed to help K-20 decision makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and universities and achieve their educational goals.

Latest Posts from the eSchool News Staff (see all)