Parent Survey Finds Half of Gen Alpha Students Using AI

Among school-age members of Generation Alpha, the successor to Gen Z, nearly half are using AI tools already, with boys and older kids leading the pack.

According to a recent online survey of 500 parents of children ages 7 to 14 conducted by the web-hosting information website HostingAdvice, 49 percent of their Gen Alpha children are using AI tools, with 33 percent of them using the technology for fun, 23 percent to learn new things, and 20 percent for help with their homework.

Gen Alpha’s use of AI seems to differentiate by gender, as 54 percent of boys use AI tools compared with 45 percent of girls. When it comes to homework, the usage gap grows, with parents of Gen Alpha boys reporting 25 percent use AI tools for school compared with 16 percent of girls in the same age group.

However, interest in and use of AI tools seems to grow steadily with age, regardless of gender, according to the data collected from parents. Those numbers show 30 percent of 7-year-olds using AI tools, compared with about 60 percent of 13- and 14-year-olds.

In the analysis of the data, HostingAdvice staff writer Christina Lewis said increased AI use at the older end of the Gen Alpha spectrum is tied to the natural progression of digital literacy.

“From a young age, Gen Alpha is swiping and tapping their way through various devices. By the time they hit their teenage years, their digital literacy is quite advanced,” she wrote. “They understand how to use technology and also grasp its potential, making them more confident and capable of exploring AI tools.”