Chapter 10: Participatory AI: Children and Families Co-designing and Collaborating with AI Systems

The case studies in this chapter explore how children and families envision using artificial intelligence (AI) systems in their everyday lives to support personal expression, creativity, language learning and cultural preservation. We present two case studies: the first describes the ways in which children experiment with emerging generative AI (gen AI) tools for creative expression, and the second shares how children team with their parents and grandparents, alongside a gen AI chat system, to help them brainstorm design ideas for supporting culturally responsive language learning. In the first case study, children work with AI tools primarily in dyads (AI and individual child). In the second case, we share how children and parents take on different roles and perspectives as they team with the AI chatbot to consider how AI can support their goals for preserving cultural and familial memories through language learning. All the cases in this chapter employ a participatory design (PD) approach that directly involves the children and families in voicing their personal perspectives, concerns, and desires as they encounter and engage AI-infused technologies in their everyday lives.