One of the most powerful things you can say to a child is, “I don’t know. Let’s find out together.”
Each week seems to bring countless new headlines in the evolution of AI. These range from profound medical applications to uncanny chatbots that mimic human empathy with unsettling precision. This pace of progress can feel overwhelming.
The latest AI milestones fill us with either unbridled optimism for a newly possible future or existential dread. But in our obsession with what computers can do, I believe we’ve lost track of what children are capable of. In our haste to respond to this technological shift, we have adopted a posture of retreat for children. We are so transfixed by the rising tide of AI’s potential that we have begun to lower our estimations of the next generation. Children are pictured with LEGO® Education materials. One prevailing narrative suggests that AI is a tidal wave coming to wash away human relevance, and our job is to frantically teach children how to tread water. This perspective frames the child as a passive victim of progress rather than its primary architect. While supporting children to safely, ethically and effectively use the AI tools that exist today is important, so is equipping them with the knowledge, skills, tools and confidence to build what is yet to come. One of my favorite learning activities to do with children is to have them draw how they think something works. This could be anything from a bicycle to a bionic arm. We then explore the topic and at the end I’ll ask them to draw a new picture with everything they have learned. Over the years I’ve seen just about everything: networks of gears, tangles of wires, explosions of heat and the force of gravity. But with AI, increasingly I’m seeing drawings of … magic. This can be exacerbated by generative AI tools like ChatGPT, where the conversational interface masks underlying mechanics, leading younger children to ascribe human-like intelligence and intent to the software. The danger lies not only in this misconception, but also in its byproducts. As these systems become more persuasive, we see a concerning trend where children increasingly turn to AI companions for emotional validation, substituting these interactions for the messy, vital work of human relationship building. AI is not magic, it is technology. And foundational AI literacy isn’t about teaching children how to use a “magic box.” It is about handing them a screwdriver to take the box apart. We must stop preparing children for a world where they are secondary to AI. Instead, we should provide them with the foundational tools and literacies required to lead, design and critique the systems of the future. Our goal should not be to “robot-proof“ our children but to ensure they are ready to build a better future. Understanding the structural foundations of AI—computer science, probability, data, sensing, algorithmic bias—should not be an elective luxury reserved for a select few. These concepts must be elevated to the status of a new literacy, just as fundamental to a modern education as reading, numeracy, problem-solving, creativity and collaboration. To accomplish this, we urgently need robust policy, academic standards, updated curriculum, training and funding to support foundational AI literacy. But we also need to address the elephant in the room … ourselves. Many educators and parents feel ill-equipped to guide children through the complexities of AI. In fact, nearly half of all computer science teachers don’t feel comfortable teaching AI even after training. It is no surprise we feel that way; the pace is absolutely unrelenting. However, we cannot wait for adult expertise to catch up to the speed of innovation. Instead, we can reframe our role from all-knowing experts to partners in learning. I challenge you to create space for a child’s curiosity that includes your own. Children most often don’t need you to be an expert; they need you to support their exploration. One of the most powerful things you can say to a child is, “I don’t know. Let’s find out together.” Andrew Sliwinski serves as head of product experience for LEGO® Education and as a trustee of the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Prior to joining The LEGO® Group, Andrew was a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His work is used by tens of millions of children around the world to explore and express themselves creatively with technology. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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