https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/parenting-education/teenage-use-of-ai-what-parents-should-be-aware-of
2025-03-24
Venessa Lee
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE – When Caleb Teo, 16, uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools, it is always related to school, he says.
The Year 1 student at a junior college (JC) says: “Usually, I’ll try and think of the response first, but when I’m tired or frustrated, I’ll turn to ChatGPT. Sometimes, I forget a concept and it triggers my memory enough so that I can answer the question myself.”
While he does not use generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tools often, he found ChatGPT useful for preparing for his O-level oral examination in 2024. He would “test” himself and ask ChatGPT to provide feedback and “grade” his oral responses.
Other times, AI is not as helpful. “It will blurt out everything to do with the topic. Some points are not in my syllabus and I can’t use all the material,” he says.
Caleb is like the majority of his peers when it comes to using AI, according to a survey released in February.
The survey by Google and the non-profit Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI) found parents in Singapore reporting that 83 per cent of their teens use Gen AI tools at least once a week, for a variety of purposes.
It reported that the top reasons teenagers used such tools was for homework or school-related tasks (68 per cent); for everyday tasks outside of school like planning an activity (45 per cent); and for leisure and entertainment, such as creating new artwork or other kinds of content (41 per cent).
The Navigating The Impact Of AI On Teen Internet Safety Survey found that teens largely turn to Gen AI to aid their understanding of existing content, such as summarising information or explaining complex topics in simpler terms.
Gen AI tools like ChatGPT can be used to create new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations and videos. The survey was conducted with 905 parents based in Singapore, who have at least one teenager aged between 13 and 17.
While the report found young people embracing AI, it also highlighted a “concerning gap” about how conversations about potential AI risks are being overlooked, with less than half (47 per cent) of parents having discussed them with their teenagers.
The parent participants cited concerns about their teenager being over-reliant on Gen AI; believing AI-generated fake information; and having one’s image altered or misused by others using AI.
When AI moves too fast
While the rapidly evolving AI landscape has many parents flummoxed, parents should not assume that their digital native children and their schools have completely got a handle on AI either, caution industry insiders.
Ms Rachel Teo, head of government affairs and public policy at Google Singapore, says: “What I would encourage is a joint journey by parents and their teens to gain fluency in navigating AI developments, such as by using digital tools together and asking where certain information comes from. It takes time. It’s not sufficient to presume that schools have already covered such topics.”
Concerns about widespread cheating surfaced in the wake of ChatGPT’s viral success when it debuted in late 2022.
But teenagers interviewed by The Straits Times say that values concerning anti-plagiarism and academic integrity have already been inculcated by their schools and parents. Educators also have recourse to anti-plagiarism software that can detect the use of AI, such as the Turnitin program.
Caleb has used AI to shorten an overly long essay, but adds his own input.
He says: “I’d paraphrase and edit the parts that I wouldn’t have come up with. I don’t copy material straight off. You can tell if it’s AI-generated. It’s obvious, it doesn’t sound ‘human’. You know not to plagiarise as it’s about values.”
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AI cannot replace thinking
Observers say that using AI should not be a substitute for practising critical thinking and other skills taught in school.
Mr Wong Jing Yong, co-founder of tuition agency Genius Plus Academy, says students may want to use AI as a shortcut for their schoolwork, which, “generally speaking, is the wrong way to use AI”.
One student he encountered, for instance, used AI for a science project on microwave ovens and asked the program to “dumb down” its response to better suit his Secondary 3 level.
Mr Wong says: “The right way is not to ask AI to do the thinking for you. Ask yourself – how do you want to approach this topic? AI requires a bit of GPS (global positioning system) – you need to tell it the parameters.”
He says AI tools do not always fit the requirements of the local school system.
AI seems to have difficulty answering word problems, for example, which are a regular feature in mathematics in Singapore primary schools, he says.
AI tuition
Some parents, like Mr Lim Yau Boon, 55, are far from fearful about AI.
In fact, Mr Lim, co-founder of IMMRSIV, an emerging technology firm, encourages his two children to use it and wants more people to embrace its possibilities.
His daughter Elysha Lim, 18, who is studying international business at a local tertiary institution, uses ChatGPT to understand complex concepts. Mr Lim is married to a professional in a property development firm and the couple also have a 20-year-old son.
Mr Lim Yau Boon, co-founder of emerging technology company IMMRSIV, with his daughter Elysha Lim, who uses AI to help her understand complex concepts. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
“My dad encourages me to use AI in my work. He says, why waste time? It provides insights that I’m not able to find through Google Search. By honing in on what I need, it saves me a lot of time,” says Ms Lim, who adds that her secondary school taught her about academic integrity and anti-plagiarism tools.
Mr Lim says the “iterations” that a user can go through with AI – in refining and polishing one’s thoughts, and sharpening a series of prompts that guide the AI – develop clarity and expansive thinking.
He says: “AI can be a fantastic online tutor. It never gets angry or upset, and you have access to it 24/7. I think AI will democratise tuition.”
How to talk to teens about AI
Ms Wendy Tan, deputy director at Touch Cyber Wellness, which inculcates digital wellness as part of Touch Community Services, says it helps to keep in mind AI’s limitations.
“AI is a tool, not a replacement for thinking. It can make mistakes and present biased information. Always double-check facts and verify information from reliable sources,” she says.
“Don’t blindly accept AI-generated content. Evaluate it carefully for accuracy, relevance and bias.”
There are also moral risks to AI use, she adds, citing the Singapore Sports School deepfake case, which “shows how quickly image manipulation can cross ethical and legal boundaries”.
Observers say that using AI should not be a substitute for practising critical thinking and other skills taught in school. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
In November 2024, the police investigated deepfake nude photos of Singapore Sports School students that had been created and spread by other students.
Ms Tan adds that guidance, rather than restriction, is key, with the prevalence and growing importance of AI.
“For parents, the takeaway isn’t to fear AI, but to start conversations with their teens about it. Instead of asking, ‘Are you using AI?’, try ‘How do you use AI, and what do you think of it?’. You might be surprised by what they say,” says Ms Tan.
Ms Carol Loi, founder of Village Consultancy, which provides education on digital literacy, leadership and family life, says there is a need to “scaffold” learning about AI better for children and teens, rather than dumping them in the deep end.
She points to risks such as emotional attachment to AI bots on the part of younger children, for instance.
In the United States, a 14-year-old boy became deeply attached to an AI chatbot, which allegedly contributed to his suicide in February 2024, prompting his mother to file a lawsuit against its maker in October. The mother alleged that the teen had become obsessed with the bot, “talking” to it day and night. She claimed it worsened the child’s depression.
Ms Loi advises parents to ensure that their relationship with their child is secure, spending time with him or her while talking to the child about AI use where appropriate.
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Teens thinking about their AI future
Young digital natives like Jiang Yuhan, 17, are already thinking about how AI will affect their future.
The Year 2 JC student uses Gen AI to standardise academic house style and citations in her work. “You can do it in Google Sheets, but it’s easier to get AI to do it. It’s good at doing the tedious, administrative tasks.”
She is looking ahead to her prospective career: “As the next generation entering the job market, there’s a lot of concern about job security. AI might take over future jobs.
“I wanted to be a radiographer, but my mum said the job could be enhanced by AI. A lot of my peers want to get into computer engineering because everyone is aware that AI is the future. If you’re the one creating the AI, your job won’t be replaced.”
Yuhan adds: “Some of my peers are building their own AI models. It’s cool that people my age are harnessing AI in this way.”
Venessa Lee is a senior correspondent at The Straits Times, where she writes features on parenting and social issues.
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