Parents underestimate children's use of generative AI tools
In brief
- 86 % of French teens aged 11 to 17 regularly use generative AI tools.
- Parents consistently underestimate usage frequency, especially for general-purpose tools.
- 92 % of children want to reduce their time spent on these tools, despite generally positive perceptions.
A YouGov survey for the European think tank Interface finds that 86 % of French teens aged 11 to 17 regularly use generative AI tools, compared to 76 % estimated by their parents. Conducted with 1,138 parents and 970 children, the study also shows parents consistently underestimate usage frequency, especially for general-purpose tools (78 % of children vs. 66 % estimated by parents).
The results detail both parents’ and children’s perceptions of these tools. Parents are mostly familiar with general chatbots (97 %), voice assistants (94 %), and social media-integrated AI (85 %), but underestimate their children’s adoption. For example, 41 % of parents believe their child uses a general AI tool at least weekly, versus 51 % reported by children. Parents are divided on the tools’ effects: 32 % see them as useful for school success, but 27 % fear a negative impact on personal reasoning.
Children, however, express a desire to reduce their usage time (92 %), particularly for AI companions (59 %) and social media-integrated AI (57 %). They perceive more benefits (47 % say it saves time) than risks (17 % fear a loss of intellectual autonomy).
What it changes for you
- EducationSchools may need to introduce modules on responsible use of generative AI, given widespread adoption and contrasting perceptions between parents and children.
- Human ResourcesHR departments may need to offer training for parents on digital tools to align their perceptions with the actual usage by younger generations.
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