Today’s artificially intelligent (AI) technologies are more pervasive, persuasive, and alluring than those of the past. They affect how many people, including the youngest members of society, socialize, learn, and play. According to a survey from Common Sense Media, the average teenager spends almost three hours on social media or video hosting websites every day [1] . Common Sense Media also reported that 72% of teens believed that the algorithms controlling newsfeeds and advertisements on these websites intentionally try to manipulate users’ attention and interests [2] . Moreover, a study done by Juniper Research [3] forecasted that 70 million U.S. households, or 55% of the total households in the U.S., will have installed a smart speaker by the end of 2022. Research on children and AI shows that children often form friendly, trusting relationships with their virtual assistants and smart toys which could make them vulnerable [4] . Despite the prevalence of AI in daily life, most people are unaware of AI’s role in society and lack a baseline knowledge of how AI works.

Randi Williams is a graduate research assistant in the Personal Robots group at the MIT Media Lab. She received her Master of Science in Media Arts in Sciences from MIT in 2018 and her Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from UMBC in 2016.

To combat the current trend of misunderstanding and mistrust of AI, Randi is preparing the next generation to use AI to solve important problems in their communities. Her research intersects human-robot interaction and preK-12 education with a particular focus on engaging students from historically marginalized backgrounds. She has developed a number of AI education projects, including PopBots, social robot learning companions that teach AI through social interaction and How to Train Your Robot, a middle school AI and ethics curriculum.