Behind the screen: AI slop, young children, and the profit problem

AI slop—low-quality, mass-produced content created by generative AI—is increasingly permeating the digital environments that young children encounter during what is the most critical period for their development and lifelong well-being. As concerns grow about the potential effects of AI slop on young children, questions are also emerging about the incentives that drive its creation and distribution. What constitutes safe and unsafe media for young children, and what should caregivers understand about what is happening behind the screen?

On July 18, the Center for Universal Education at Brookings will host a conversation to examine the effects of AI slop on young children’s learning, development, and well-being, as well as the incentives driving its production. As the third event in the Generation AI Starts Early webinar series, the discussion will bring together perspectives from health, media, and policy to explore what AI-generated content means for young children, caregivers, policymakers, and the broader media ecosystem.

The Generation AI Starts Early series brings together leading experts in early childhood development and related fields to examine how AI is entering children’s everyday lives and what this could mean for their development and future trajectories. The series also explores the guardrails, policies, and design principles needed to ensure that, as babies and children grow up in an AI world, the human relationships and experiences that underpin healthy development remain central.

Online viewers can submit questions via e-mail to [email protected].