Study: Young users (9 to 18Y) ditch Google for AI, with unknown consequences

Researchers analyzed 173 studies on how generative AI affects children's critical thinking and problem-solving skills, finding that AI itself neither strengthens nor weakens these abilities—instead, its impact depends on how it's used. The same technology can have both constructive effects (when used to challenge thinking and build reasoning) and destructive effects (when it replaces independent thought), yet there remains limited solid knowledge about how AI impacts younger school-age children during crucial developmental periods.