Artificial Intelligence Research in Early Childhood Education Examined

A new critical review published in the journal AI, Brain and Child systematically evaluated the conceptualization of artificial intelligence in early childhood education. Analyzing 34 research articles published up to June 2024, the study showed that cognitive and situated approaches are predominant, while social justice and systemic equity dimensions remain insufficient.

Using frameworks established by Yasmin Kafai and Chris Proctor, the research examined a total of 34 articles, comprising 21 empirical and 13 conceptual papers. The findings revealed that the articles focus on cognitive gains and situated environmental interactions, whereas critical perspectives such as societal outcomes and democratic access remain limited. While cognitive research focused on children's perception of aliveness in robots, situated research emphasized sociocultural interactions and AI's role in supporting learning.

The authors of the review advocate for a posthumanist perspective and an ethic of care to create sustainable early learning ecosystems. They also noted that the research is largely Western-centric, with empirical gaps in the Global South, and that adapting child-centric AI to Confucian models in East Asia presents unique challenges.