Irvine, Calif., March 26, 2025 — The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence technologies has sparked concerns about the potential adverse effects of AI on the safety, learning and development of young people. As AI becomes more prevalent in classrooms and homes, parents and educators are eager for guidance on responsibly navigating this evolving landscape.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and foundry10 recently led a national, mixed-methods investigation of parents’, teachers’ and adolescents’ perceptions of, use of and experiences with generative and more traditional forms of AI. The National Science Foundation supported the study.

“Digital technologies have been moving fast, but generative AI models have hit society and young users at breathtaking speed. Everyone is scrambling to understand how our children may be impacted. Fortunately, our team was able to rapidly mobilize to directly ask adolescents, parents and teachers how they’re faring in this new age of AI,” said Candice Odgers, UC Irvine professor of psychological science and informatics, who led the research with Gillian Hayes, UC Irvine Chancellor’s Professor and Robert A. and Barbara L. Kleist Chair in informatics, and Jennifer Rubin, senior researcher at foundry10.

The initial study ran between November 2023 and May 2024, with survey questions posed to two national samples: 1,510 adolescents (ages 9 to 17) and 2,826 parents of K-12 students in the United States. Additional data was collected from June to September 2024 through conversations with focus groups including parents, teachers and adolescents.

The research team’s findings illustrate the emerging – but not yet central – role of AI platforms in the lives of adolescents. While almost half (45 percent) reported using ChatGPT or similar products in the past month, the use of more specialized AI tools – such as virtual friends or mental health chatbots – was far less common. Adolescents did not report utilizing AI tools frequently in their regular routines, with only 7 percent indicating daily use of generative AI. Few adolescents (less than 6 percent) said they had experienced negative social or academic impacts from their use of AI, while most adolescent users (69 percent) said that generative AI had helped them learn something new.

“Parents, teachers and teens differed in their reported use of and response to generative AI, with, for example, only 1 in 4 parents using generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Not surprisingly, adolescents appear to be earlier and more eager adopters of AI, with their parents and teachers varying widely in terms of their familiarity, openness and comfort with these new tools,” said Kelli Dickerson, a UC Irvine project scientist assisting the study.

Results from the survey also suggest that, currently, the rapid introduction and uptake of generative AI may not be significantly widening existing inequalities among adolescents.

“We were shocked to see that, at least at this time, teens from lower- versus higher-income families did not vary substantially in their adoption or uses of generative AI, which is commonly seen with the introduction of new digital or educational technologies. This is an exciting time for developmental researchers and designers to come together and develop responsible technologies to improve the lives of students,” Hayes said.

The researchers point to the importance of continuing to monitor young people’s uses, experiences and perceptions of AI over time, including assessing how AI-related policies affect youth engagement and ensuring equitable AI access and benefits for all youth.

This study was conducted in collaboration with the CERES network, foundry10, Hart Research (on behalf of the National 4-H Council) and NORC at the University of Chicago (on behalf of CERES). NSF award 2334172 and a gift from Microsoft supported the work.

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