Approximately 99% of Romanian adolescents use artificial intelligence, 80.96% have encountered fake content generated by AI, and 37.25% have learned about the safe use of artificial intelligence exclusively online and on social networks, according to a survey conducted by World Vision Romania.
The questionnaire was applied to a number of 604 students, most of them high school students. Although the survey is not representative at the national level, it provides an important signal on how teenagers in Romania use artificial intelligence and navigate the digital environment. The survey was made public for the Safer Internet Day.
According to the data, 62.42% of teens use artificial intelligence often or sometimes for homework or school projects, while 54.64% say that teachers rarely or not at all discuss AI at school.
"In the absence of a strategy on the responsible use of AI in schools, students look for information online or on social networks, where the information is not structured, validated or adjusted for the age of the children. Over 37% of adolescents indicate the internet and social media as the exclusive source from which they learned to use AI safely, and 24.01% say they have not received information on this subject. This combination of frequent use and reduced guidance shifts responsibility for safety almost exclusively to children."
World Vision Romania organises on Wednesday a live webinar on Instagram (@worldvisionro), entitled "Do you need AI?" an open dialogue for adolescents, which aims to provide essential information about the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence. Subjects such as the impact on education and mental health, identifying misinformation and protecting personal data will be addressed, along with guest Gabriela Dumitriu, psychotherapist.
According to the survey, 76.66% of respondents say they are quite (55.30%) or very familiar (21.36%) with AI. Almost all of the adolescents surveyed (99%) use applications or platforms that integrate AI at least occasionally, and 22.52% use them daily.
At the same time, 54.64% say that teachers rarely (41.23%) or not at all (13.41%) discuss artificial intelligence in the school environment. At the same time, 82.11% say that they have used AI to accomplish a task without fully understanding the answer given (11.09% often, 34.60% sometimes, 36.42% rarely).
"In the absence of clear rules and applied discussions about AI in schools, students learn by trial and error, not by guided education. The Internet and social media are the most frequently indicated as the exclusive source of education on the safe use of AI (37.25%), while 24.01% say they have not received information on AI from anywhere. This move of digital education to the online space leaves children navigating risks without clear benchmarks and without validation from adults."
Also, 80.96% of respondents say that they have encountered fake content online (texts, images or videos) created with the help of artificial intelligence. Although only 21.03% always check the information generated by AI using other sources, and 11.59% never check it, 82.95% of adolescents believe that they can recognise the content generated by AI.
Regarding the introduction of personal information in artificial intelligence applications (full name, school, photos, address), 46.69% say that they never do this, but 48.35% say that they do so rarely, sometimes or often (26.66% rarely, 14.74% sometimes, 6.95% often), and 4.97% are not sure.
At the same time, 70.53% of respondents say that they are aware, quite a lot (46.36%) or very much (24.17%), of the fact that AI applications can save and analyse the information entered.
For some teenagers, artificial intelligence can become a space of emotional support, especially in situations where supportive relationships with adults are insufficient. Thus, 39.24% say that they sometimes (26.16%) or often (13.08%) use AI for advice related to emotions, stress or personal problems, while 33.11% say that they never use this type of support.
When faced with a personal problem, 39.40% of adolescents ask their parents or family for help first, 14.07% say they don't talk to anyone, and 4.30% point to artificial intelligence or digital applications.
World Vision Romania supports the following measures: strategy for the responsible use of AI in schools, with clear guidelines for teachers and students; media literacy and AI skills training in schools, with a focus on fact-checking, disinformation and data protection, developing critical thinking and content checking habits, especially in social media; training teachers to integrate AI and digital education into teaching; support for parents (parents' school, guides); penalties for social networks for non-application of European and national legislation and regulations.
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