Creative AI Literacies for Families

Abstract

Many families engage daily with artificial intelligence (AI) applications, from conversations with a voice assistant to mobile navigation searches. Unfortunately, existing intelligent technologies in the home are prone to algorithmic bias and cyber-security attacks. To ensure the new generations of children growing up with AI can develop a critical understanding of AI technologies, we must explore parents' roles in helping their children develop AI literacies and identify how best to support families in engaging in creative learning activities with and about AI while proposing recommendations for future family-centered AI literacies resources. To guarantee that diverse families can realize their dignity and potential to develop AI literacies, we must enable stakeholders (e.g., children, parents, and technology designers) to make informed, timely, and equitable action. While AI technologies often perpetuate and exacerbate inequities in many contexts, they could also support family learning goals if properly contextualized for use by stakeholders. This work explores this idea in informing youth about how to train and program smart games in self-directed learning experiences and informing curriculum \& technology designers' domain expertise with empirical evidence on family AI literacies practices. I investigate how to design novel programming and AI learning interfaces for families to develop literacies for creating and being creative with AI. This involves the development of Cognimates, a family AI programming tool. This dissertation demonstrates the following thesis:Family joint engagement in creative AI literacy activities enables children to: (1) discover the core concepts of AI technologies and the power they can bring, (2) foster critical reflection on the uses of AI in the home and beyond, and (3) learn creative coding with AI as a way to enable self-expression.