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Interactive Storytelling for Children: A Case-study of Design and Development Considerations for Ethical Conversational AI

Project Overview

The document explores the role of generative AI, particularly Conversational Artificial Intelligence (CAI), in education, with a focus on enhancing storytelling for children. It highlights the importance of ethical considerations in the design and implementation of CAI systems, addressing critical issues such as privacy, safety, and the developmental impacts on children's cognitive, social, and linguistic skills. A notable case study illustrates the creation of a meta-story chat tool aimed at increasing children's engagement with storytelling, while adhering to ethical design practices. The findings advocate for participatory design approaches that actively involve children and their parents in the development process, ensuring that the technologies meet their needs and promote positive educational outcomes. Through these insights, the document underscores the potential of generative AI to enrich educational experiences while prioritizing ethical standards and stakeholder involvement.

Key Applications

AI Fan Along - a meta-story chat tool for children

Context: Educational context aimed at children aged 9-14, focusing on storytelling and social development

Implementation: Developed through a pilot case-study involving research on technical and ethical aspects, with participatory design principles.

Outcomes: Aims to enhance children's social, literary, and empathetic understanding through immersive storytelling experiences.

Challenges: Ethical considerations regarding consent, privacy, and the potential for harmful interactions with CAI.

Implementation Barriers

Ethical Barrier

Concerns regarding privacy and safety for children using CAI, especially in terms of data collection and surveillance.

Proposed Solutions: Implementing transparent data practices, obtaining parental consent, and ensuring the system does not run as a background process.

Technical Barrier

Challenges in designing CAI that accurately understands and responds to the varied speech patterns of children, which differ from adults.

Proposed Solutions: Developing ASR systems tailored for children's speech and considering the physical and physiological differences in developing voices.

Project Team

ennifer Chubba

Researcher

Sondess Missaouib

Researcher

Shauna Concannonc

Researcher

Liam Maloneyb

Researcher

James Alfred Walker

Researcher

Contact Information

For information about the paper, please contact the authors.

Authors: ennifer Chubba, Sondess Missaouib, Shauna Concannonc, Liam Maloneyb, James Alfred Walker

Source Publication: View Original PaperLink opens in a new window

Project Contact: Dr. Jianhua Yang

LLM Model Version: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

Analysis Provider: Openai

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