Teen Conversation Topics – AI
Most participants in the teen conversations, at some point, wanted to talk about AI (artificial intelligence). They talked about how it impacts their schoolwork, the environment, mental health, art, and more. They explored some of the pitfalls as well as the possible benefits to its use. Listen in below to explore.
Highlights
**These highlights come from facilitated conversations hosted by the North Liberty Library in partnership with Cortico, MIT Center for Constructive Communication, and PBS Frontline.**
A warning for the overuse of AI in place of interpersonal connection including detriments to isolation and mental health.
Teens pushed back on the idea that AI gives you neutral answers — pointing out that it’s designed to tell you what you want to hear, which makes it an unreliable guide for anything that actually matters.
One participant notes the need of human art and input in order to maintain AI systems.
The impact of life on art and how we experience the world and how it is being given to AI responsibilities. Again, more frustration on how AI is being used, more frivolently than for improving life or society.
A sadness about the complexity of the world around her. She feels that there’s a problem with the world currently, or at least in general, that is largely unfortunate and sad.
Are existing learning processes set up to increase AI use rather than to encourage deeper thinking.
AI can be used as a study tool. A participant tells us how he uses AI to improve his education without having it do the work for him.
The thought that reading something written by AI loses the feeling that you’re reading something special – that it is just an output rather than a work of creativity.
An additional voice concerned about the water use of AI, a common concern among teens with AI.
An interesting highlight where the speaker feels that using AI to do their work would be embarrassing.
The idea that even when used as a tool, AI is harming the ability to think critically.
An interesting clip about not completely trusting that what you get from AI agents to be true without checking and that the term AI, itself, is not able to be trusted.
A quick note on a limit that should be put on AI. If it crosses a specific boundary – the request for a relationship – that it should not continue.
A comment regularly expressed that using AI alone does not provide you with the utility to do better in the future and that you don’t get the benefit of normal life struggles and experiences.
The take that AI is similar to other technological advances, that it will require adaptation, but otherwise be a utility for use.
An interesting highlight where the participant calculated water use corresponding to a proposed data center.
A general desire for more regulation in AI due to the ability to create believable misinformation at a greater rate and believability.