New Preprint: How Children’s Brains Respond to AI (ChatGPT) We’ve posted a new preprint reporting an fNIRS study of young children interacting with an AI character either alone, with a parent, or with a parent only. We focused on the right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), a key “social brain” region.
Children who believed the AI could “see” them showed greater right dmPFC activation when they interacted with the AI alone. When a parent was co-present with the AI, that same belief was associated with lower right dmPFC activation, suggesting that parents help carry the social–cognitive load of engaging with AI.
Together, these findings highlight that children’s social brains are sensitive not only to what they think AI can do, but also to who is with them during the interaction with AI.
Read the preprint here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.02179
At the Brain, AI, and Child (BAIC) Center, we study how AI systems like chatbots and virtual agents are shaping the lives, minds, and relationships of today’s children. Our research explores one of the most urgent and exciting questions in developmental science:
How do children form relationships with AI, and what does this mean for their emotional, cognitive, and social development?
Our current projects focus on how AI transparency, emotional intelligence, and anthropomorphism affect children’s trust, social relationships, and well-being. We use innovative methods, such as experimental design and neuroimaging to study the evolving child–AI relationship from developmental perspectives.
By joining the BAIC Center, you’ll be at the forefront of a research movement that aims to unlock the potential of AI to support child development while also identifying and mitigating risks. Our work contributes to real-world solutions, including the design of safer, developmentally appropriate AI systems for families, educators, and developers.
Interested in Joining Us? We welcome passionate volunteer research assistants (both in-person and remote) as well as prospective PhD students who are excited to help build a scientifically grounded future where AI supports child development.
