Exploring Families' Use and Mediation of Generative AI: A Multi-User Perspective

Abstract: Applications of Generative AI (GenAI), such as ChatGPT, have gained popularity among the public due to their ease of access, use, and support of educational and creative activities. Despite these benefits, GenAI poses unique risks for families, such as lacking sufficient safeguards tailored to protect children under 16 years of age and not offering parental control features. This study explores families' use and co-use of GenAI, the perceived risks and opportunities of ChatGPT, and how parents mediate their children's use of GenAI. Through semi-structured interviews with 12 families, we identified ways families used and mediated GenAI and factors that influenced parents' GenAI mediation strategies. We contextualize our findings with a modified model of family mediation strategies, drawing from previous family media and mediation frameworks. We provide insights for future research on family-GenAI interactions and highlight the need for more robust protective measures on GenAI platforms for families.