Early years education, namely children in pre-school from 2 to 6 years of age, have not yet been explored fully how they can benefit from the generative AI revolution. However, studies have shown that Generative AI can have a big and positive impact on the development of the child. As Kanders & Stupple-Harris (2023) have shown that moderated Generative AI tools can have a positive impact on speech language development for example, where the generative ai can answer questions which a child might ask. In this blogpost I will explore how ChatGPT and ElevenLabs can facilitate the language development for early-years education. These are not replacing human educators, but rather help human educators bring out the best in early-education (World Economic Forum, 2023).
As language is crucial for the cognitive development of communication, advanced thinking and problem-solving skills, generative AI can play the role of engaging early education children to boost their curiosity and imagination. Generative AI can then help in understanding complex sentences and logical reasoning, which may be helpful in their future education. However, as ChatGPT is built on data from the internet, the users and developers have to be careful with ethical consideration, especially about what the AI responds to the children, as the effects, if not properly managed, can have negative consequences, due to their answers. Strict data-handling policies can help mitigate the risks.
Firms that apply these two technologies can benefit from partnerships with early education schools, as they could sell their software to schools with a one-time licensing fee or a freemium model, which could generate income for these firms, as schools are always looking for innovative forms of teaching which can be beneficial for the development of children. Furthermore, these technologies can personalize the learning journey for each child, which can not only benefit the laggers in education, but also those that are ahead, not anymore relying on one-size fits all education.
Karlis, K., & Stupple-Harris, L. (2023). How might the early-years sector use generative AI? Nesta. https://www.nesta.org.uk/project-updates/how-might-the-early-years-sector-use-generative-ai/#:~:text=Generative%20AI%20could%20support%2C%20for
World Economic Forum. (2023, August 23). How will generative AI affect children? The need for answers has never been more urgent. The European Sting – Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology – Europeansting.com; The European Sting – Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology – europeansting.com.
Very interesting blog post! I appreciate how you immediately specified that this application of GenAI serves as support for human educators, instead of substituting them. Most other blog posts I have read delve into this issue of GenAI ‘replacing’ humans (where the conclusion often reads ‘no, GenAI will not replace humans in the affected field, but serve as an aid instead’). I also think this is a really interesting, but intuitively ‘not so obvious’ application of GenAI. I very much agree with you in that exposing younger children to GenAI models – which tend to be viewed as ‘black boxes’ – should be done with caution to ensure that they are not exposed to harmful or inappropriate content. Exploring these ethical applications is a must before application into practice!