Parent and Educator Concerns on the Pedagogical Use of AI-Equipped Social Robots

Abstract

Social robots equipped with conversational artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly common in educational settings. However, the long-term consequences of such uses remain relatively unknown due to their novelty. To ensure children's safe use of social robots, and proper adoption of the technology, it is crucial to scrutinize potential concerns regarding their usage. This exploration will provide insights to inform the design and development of this technology. Thus, this study investigated parents' and educators' perceptions of social robot use by children in the home and school settings. Our main objectives are to; 1) explore whether the types and/or levels of concern are tied to the role that individuals take (i.e., parents vs. educators); 2) explore if the levels of concern vary based on the gender and age of the potential child user; and 3) compile a catalogue of parents' and educators' concerns, both from the literature and those that are overlooked, surrounding children's use of SRs for learning. To address those inquiries, a cross-national online survey study was conducted with parents and educator participants (N = 396). Overall, participants indicated high levels of concern but recognized the potential in responsibly applying such technology for educational purposes.