As technology and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to develop and impact society, ensuring children learn critical thinking skills, including how to recognise bias, is becoming an important part of education.

‘CARE-Kids: Fostering Critical Thinking and Gender Bias Recognition in Children’, is an ambitious project led by Dr Elisa Rubegni at Lancaster University redefining how AI-based tools can help children identify and counteract stereotypes. Research has long highlighted the damaging effects of gender stereotypes on children’s self-perception and aspirations, and CARE-Kids addresses these challenges by:

• Empowering Early Learners: Encouraging critical thinking activities to help children recognise and challenge stereotypes and biases early, preventing them from taking root.
• Innovating AI-based Educational Tools: Developing interactive digital tools to engage teachers and students, proven ways to learn about complex topics like AI and bias.
• Fostering Inclusivity: Challenging traditional norms, helping education become fairer and more inclusive.

Supported by the EPSRC INCLUDE+ initiative, an association of industry, academia and charities, Dr Rubegni’s research combines technology, education, and cognitive science to develop new tools like generative AI and digital storytelling to create interesting and enjoyable lessons.

Dr Rubegni is an expert in Child-Computer Interaction, with extensive experience in developing child-friendly digital experiences to support children’s creativity, identity, and cognitive development. In recent years, her work has focused on reducing the impact of societal stereotypes on children’s identity development. Her projects use critical thinking and experiential learning to inspire children to explore the impact of AI and challenge gender stereotypes. Building on this research, the CARE-Kids project aims to increase AI literacy among school-age children and promote a more inclusive educational environment. It allows students to get hands-on experience with AI technology – letting them create characters, tell stories, and analyse the biases inherent in AI-generated content.

For instance, students might be encouraged to reflect on why AI-generated images produce results that conform to stereotypes and how this might affect society more generally. By encouraging students to see how their creativity is influenced by AI algorithms, they can learn to control the technology rather than simply accept what it provides.

The CARE-Kids project works closely with teachers and psychologists to ensure all their materials are evidence-based and have practical use in the classroom. Based on a participatory design approach, the Care-Kids project worked with two schools: St. Paul’s C of E Junior School in Barrow-in-Furness and Ryelands Primary and Nursery School in Lancashire.

But CARE-Kids’ impact goes well beyond the classroom. By looking to add AI literacy into the National Curriculum it can help develop the novel governmental policies and teaching methods needed to ensure students in underrepresented regions such as Northern England reach their full potential.

Dr Rubegni said: “As generative AI is increasingly integrated into everyday lives, we must acknowledge the critical role these tools play in reflecting and reinforcing the diversity of reality, and especially that such content accurately represents societal plurality and avoids continuing harmful stereotypes.”

It is the youngest among us holds the power to shape the future. Through CARE-Kids, Dr Rubegni’s team of researchers are proving that with the right tools and guidance, children can help build a fairer world.