A SUNY Cortland faculty member will co-lead a one-year planning project examining how young children engage with artificial intelligence (AI) and the equity issues that arise from early encounters with these technologies. The project, led by researchers at SUNY Cortland and the University at Buffalo, received a $75,000 Vision Grant to prepare a proposal for a larger Spencer Foundation Transformation Research Grant.
Focus on the early years and equity
Assistant Professor Deborah Silvis, of SUNY Cortland’s Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department, will serve as co-principal investigator. According to the announcement, the project aims to build a research framework and local partnerships in Western New York over the coming year.
The researchers say early childhood has been largely overlooked in discussions about AI education. They identify two interconnected challenges that motivate the work:
- The topic of AI remains largely invisible within early childhood education systems and policy, creating potential risks for children and their caregivers.
- Fragmentation across schools and community-based early childhood services can compound those risks, limiting coherent responses and widening inequities.
"As AI is increasingly integrated into our society, the project addresses the urgent need for equitable AI education in the early years, when children are forming foundational understandings of the world," Silvis said.
During the planning period, the team will engage with local education leaders, community members and technology partners to create a four-year research agenda focused on sustainable, scalable solutions. The Spencer Foundation supports research intended to improve education systems, and this Vision Grant will fund preparatory activities for a larger Transformation Research Grant proposal.
Research aims and next steps
The stated objective is to design a long-term programme that considers both classroom practice and the broader policy environment. The planning year will be used to:
- Develop the research framework and methodology;
- Establish community and technology partnerships in Western New York;
- Draft a proposal for a multi-year Transformation Research Grant with an emphasis on sustainable models that could scale.
| Phase | Duration |
|---|---|
| Vision Grant planning | 1 year |
| Planned research agenda | 4 years (proposed) |
Silvis joined SUNY Cortland in 2023 and holds a PhD in learning sciences and human development from the University of Washington’s College of Education. Her scholarship examines the intersections of technology, child development and social change; her work has appeared in journals including the International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning.
The team frames the work as addressing an "urgent need": early childhood is a formative period when children develop basic ideas about how the world works, including machines and automated systems. By centring equity and systems thinking, the researchers aim to identify policy and practice changes that could reduce disparities in how children and caregivers experience AI.
For South African educators and policymakers, the study’s emphasis on systemic fragmentation and equitable access is pertinent. Early childhood provision in many contexts is delivered by a mix of public, private and community providers, a reality that can complicate coherent curriculum development, teacher training and family support. Although the project is US-based, its findings on how to integrate AI education in the early years and how to build cross-sector partnerships could inform international dialogue as countries consider how to prepare young learners for an AI-rich future.
Key facts:
- The project received a $75,000 Vision Grant to support a one-year planning period for a Transformation Research Grant proposal.
- Planning will involve partnerships with local education leaders, community members and technology partners in Western New York.
- The research team intends to develop a four-year agenda focused on sustainable, scalable solutions for equitable AI education in the early years.
