As so-called AI slop has taken over social media feeds around the world, an entire genre of videos generated using artificial intelligence has been targeted at an often overlooked demographic: kids.
A disturbing report from The New York Times found that low-effort, often nonsensical videos for children could be having a negative impact on their development.
What's happening?
The investigation unearthed thousands of videos intended for toddlers and preschoolers that claimed to be educational but oftentimes were anything but.
Instead, they were apparently created merely to capture and maintain the attention of young people while requiring minimal time and effort to produce.
"To me, the meaninglessness of these videos is a huge problem because they're just attention capture," said Jenny Radesky, a developmental behavioral pediatrician, per the Times. "And the worst case is that it's so fantastical and full of attention capture that it is going to be cognitively overloading to the child."
These videos, often posted on YouTube channels specifically marketed to young children and their parents, appeared to maximize views and watchtime while providing little in the way of actual substance.
Why does it matter?
Many of these channels seemed to be profiting on low-effort AI videos while potentially harming children and hindering their cognitive development.
"It may seem like it's innocuous," Rachel Barr, a developmental psychologist, told the Times. "But it is not going to help them learn."
According to experts, children-oriented programming of the past such as "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" and "Sesame Street" contained educational content that helped kids gain essential knowledge about things such as the alphabet and numbers. They also included important lessons about interpersonal relationships and managing emotions.
Not so with the new generation of AI videos being posted to YouTube, experts warned.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 "These do strike me as something that are made to really get in your head," said Mitch Prinstein, a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "It may even be harmful."
What's being done about it?
For parents, being aware of what your children watch online is an important step in turning them toward quality programming. Reports such as that published by the Times can draw attention to the AI slop often pushed at kids.
For parents looking for educational programming that can instill important knowledge and life lessons while proving entertaining and engaging to children, options do exist. It just might take a little bit of effort to find them.
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