Young people and Gen AI
True to its vocation as an educational research hub, Insight is constantly seeking to understand the digital practices of young people and their take-up of emerging tools and platforms. One effective way of doing this is through SmartBus sessions, an internet safety programme in schools launched in partnership with Huawei in 2019. Before each session, Insight uses its own dedicated, GDPR-compliant platform to quiz the 11 to 14-year-old participants on their digital practices. Local magicians then deliver educational content developed by Insight to help pupils go online more creatively and safely.
One hot topic on the SmartBus agenda for 2024 is Generative AI. Despite the global media hype around this topic, our 2024 findings from 1000 students in Iceland show that only 1 in 3 students have actually tried out Gen AI tools. Even more surprisingly, 56% of these young people say their top concern is that they don’t really understand how AI works. It seems that Gen(erative) AI continues to exacerbate the growing gap between what children are learning at school and the high-powered digital tools they have at their fingertips.
The SmartBus has visited almost 200 schools since its launch, and approximately 12,000 school students have benefited from this face-to-face and hybrid programme. In Finland, almost 600 pupils have visited the SmartBus so far this year. A report will be published in early 2025 to inform policy makers, educators and the general public about the most recent ways young people are using digital technology, as well as their concerns and expectations. In the meantime, readers can discover interesting findings on last year’s trends in the 2023 SmartBus report.