Determine the role, risks, and safety requirements of AI in children’s pretend play

Determine whether artificial intelligence can appropriately participate in children’s pretend play, which roles it can safely perform, what risks those roles introduce, and what requirements are necessary to make child–AI interactions safe and appropriate during play.

Background

The paper identifies a gap in research concerning generative AI as a participant in children’s pretend play. Existing work has examined AI-supported storytelling, creative activities, and family use of generative AI, but has not established how parents evaluate AI when it assumes a role within pretend play.

The unresolved problem encompasses four connected issues: whether AI should have a role in pretend play at all, which roles are acceptable, what risks arise from those roles, and what design and interaction requirements would make the resulting child–AI relationship safe and appropriate in family settings. These questions motivate the interview study, although the study reports parents’ perceptions rather than resolving the broader empirical questions.

References

It remains unclear whether AI could have a role, what roles it could play, what risks these roles might introduce, and what requirements would make child--AI interactions safe and appropriate during the play.

— Understanding Parents' Complex Views of AI for Children's Pretend Play  (2609.39906 - Oh et al., 30 Sep 2026) in Section 2.4, “Parents’ Views of AI in Children’s Pretend Play: What Is Known and What Remains Unknown”

However, it remained unclear whether children should be allowed to have open-ended, natural conversations.

— Understanding Parents' Complex Views of AI for Children's Pretend Play  (2609.39906 - Oh et al., 30 Sep 2026) in Section 5.1, “Parental Protection for Child Safety”