Study finds 85 pct of young Portuguese use generative AI, above European average
About 85 percent of Portuguese children and young people aged 9 to 17 have used generative artificial intelligence in the past month, 10 percentage points above the European average, according to a report released Tuesday, Xinhua reports.
The study by NOVA University Lisbon analyzed responses from 2,111 children and young people, as well as interviews with 15 adolescents, focusing on their practices, perceptions and experiences with generative AI.
Released on Safer Internet Day, the report found that 48 percent of respondents used AI to summarize or explain texts, while 47 percent used it to complete school assignments.
It also showed that one quarter of young Portuguese used generative AI for emotional or personal support, compared with a European average of 15 percent.
Study coordinators Cristina Ponte and Susana Batista said the findings confirmed a digital divide, with access and frequency of use shaped by socioeconomic conditions, while also highlighting the role of individual factors.
Despite widespread use, the report said children and young people were not uncritical, voicing concerns about manipulation, false content, deepfakes, and humans losing control of technology.
Earlier, it was reported a group of Chinese researchers have shown that social isolation triggers "iron accumulation" in specific regions of the brain to induce anxiety, providing inspiration for the development of new interventions for anxiety disorders.
