A high of 80 percent of children use artificial intelligence (AI) as an everyday tool, and as many as one third of them consider chat bots as their “real friends”. This was recently reported by the British media “Mirror”, after a survey was conducted by a well-known telecommunications operator in which participated 1,000 respondents from Britain, aged 11 to 16. It was also stated that chat bots were used on a daily basis, most often to give advice in difficult and complex situations or to help with any concerns or anxieties that children may have.
Artificial intelligence is often seen as a double-edged tool. While it can significantly improve productivity and access to information, its overuse may lead to reduced independent thinking. The key issue is not the technology itself, but how individuals choose to rely on it.
With this use of the artificial intelligence, the first misconception comes immediately to the surface, and that is the fact that we can ask AI whatever we want, whenever we want, and we can talk about any topic, says Sanja Stavrov, a licensed psychologist.
– Unfortunately, the parents started this trend of using AI (tell me about the weather, read my coffee cup, tell me what do you think of men as a person, etc.), which is not really its function. AI actually functions as an external cognitive support, i.e., it enables faster processing of the information, better organization of knowledge, generation of ideas and alternative perspectives. From psychological perspective, it is a for of cognitive expansion, when technology becomes an extension of the thought process, explains psychologist Stavrov.
British research showed that most children trust chat bots with information about themselves that they would not share with their parents, teachers or friends, and a high of 86 percent act in accordance with the advice given to them by artificial intelligence. According to the responses of the adolescents, the reason for this is the fact that chat bots are always available, easy to talk to and supportive.
In everyday situations, the impact of AI is already visible. Students increasingly rely on AI tools to generate essays or solve problems, often without fully understanding the material. Similarly, professionals may depend on automated suggestions instead of conducting their own analysis, which can gradually weaken their decision-making abilities.
– Psychological and emotional impact can also occur, and AI can create the illusion of understanding and empathy because it communicates linguistically (in the same language that the user speaks), gives a structured and logical answer, and most importantly, reacts quickly. All this can lead to a positive feeling of support, reducing stress while solving a problem, with a potential risk of emotional dependence, replacing human communication and gaining too much trust in an algorithm, the psychologist points out.
In addition to this, there are frequent public reactions from parents and employees in the education system that the practice of students who rely in AI while doing their homework is growing, without using it as a toll that will simply help in their performance, but rather as a finished product from which they will simply take the answer.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently pointed out to a similar situation and came out with a view that artificial intelligence has found useful applications in education, but the risk of causing intellectual laziness among students is possible, while some other public articles on the same topic point out that the inappropriate use of AI also leads to a decline in independent critical thinking among adolescents.
– When we talk about new generations and their relationship with artificial intelligence, we must be honest and aware that they are growing in a completely different world than ours. A world in which knowledge is within reach, but wisdom still has to be built. Artificial intelligence undoubtedly brings huge benefits and allows faster access to information, personalized learning, and support for students who previously had difficulty accessing resources. In that sense, AI opens the door to a more democratic education and greater inclusiveness. But here comes the key challenge and if it is not managed properly, AI can create generations that know “how to get an answer”, but not “how to get to it.” The difference is essential because one means using a tool and the other means building a personality, says Goce Bumbaroski, an educational consultant and former teacher.
He agrees with the OECD’s notes that there is a real risk of developing intellectual laziness and point out that the role of parents and teachers is more important today than ever.
Psychologists also agree that just as the artificial intelligence brings benefits if it is not abused, it also has potential negative effects and risks.
As a final conclusion, Stavrov says that artificial intelligence is not a replacement for human intelligence, but a cognitive instrument, just like a calculator is an instrument for mathematics, and therefore should be used responsibly and ethically.
Ultimately, the future will not depend on artificial intelligence alone, but on the ability of individuals to think independently while using technology responsibly. Those who combine critical thinking with AI tools will have a significant advantage in the years ahead.
