"Generative AI as a companion or advisor is used by roughly one-fifth of children and adolescents to seek advice or discuss their concerns (22%). Communication about physical health and fitness is also very common (20.8%)," said Marie Jaron Bedrosova from the IRTIS research team. Creative uses, including generating images or videos, were reported by 23.4% of children and adolescents. Only a small minority (4.2%) indicated they create so-called deepfake photos or videos – images or videos that appear as if someone is doing or saying something that never actually happened.
"Usage of nearly all activities increases with age. Differences between boys and girls are generally very small, but girls more often use AI to talk about their concerns and seek advice, whereas boys are slightly more attracted to creating images or videos, including deepfake content," Jaron Bedrosova added.
In addition to the survey data, researchers conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with children and adolescents aged 13–17. They explored how generative AI is used in everyday life, attitudes toward these technologies, trust in AI outputs, levels of AI literacy, the role of adults and schools, as well as perceived risks, ethical issues, and expectations related to the development of generative AI.
"It turns out that children and adolescents use generative AI in very diverse ways, primarily as a learning aid. Many children see AI as a starting point, then modify, supplement, or combine the generated content with their own work. The main motivations include saving time and reducing the burden of routine tasks," said Vojtech Dvorak from the Department of Media Studies and Journalism at FSS MU.
AI has broad practical and everyday uses among Czech children and adolescents, such as cooking, planning sports training, improving physical fitness, or in appearance-related decisions (e.g., choosing a hair colour). Young people perceive creative experimentation with generating images, videos, or music as fun, with some children being very capable of reflecting on authorship and originality.
"The interviews also show that children are often aware of the potential risks associated with generative AI, and some approach it with a high degree of critical thinking and ethical intuition. They repeatedly mentioned that overreliance on AI can weaken their own thinking and learning. Many children, therefore, emphasised that they want to use AI as a supportive tool, not as a replacement for their own thinking," Dvorak added.
The research also revealed that AI literacy varies significantly among children. While some participants described systematically verifying information and attempting to recognise false or misleading content, others tend to trust AI responses if they appear convincing. Regardless of age, Czech children stress the need for education, guidance, and support from adults.
Children also recognise that teachers and parents may struggle to understand generative AI and emphasise that AI literacy development should also include adults, so they can meaningfully guide children rather than simply restrict them. Looking to the future, children can still imagine life without AI, but realistically and rather optimistically perceive that the ability to navigate generative AI will become increasingly important, especially in education and the workplace.
Widespread AI use began on November 30, 2022, when OpenAI launched its first major conversational model for the public, ChatGPT. Since then, AI has become a global phenomenon, reaching one million users in just five days and surpassing 100 million active users within two months. This number has subsequently grown exponentially.
You can also read more about generative artificial intelligence and how European children and adolescents use it in the comparative research report from the EU Kids Online network here.
