Japanese Teenagers Engaging with Generative AI, But with Little Guidance

The Nippon Foundation conducted a survey of 1,000 young people aged 17 to 19 years old to find out how Japanese teenagers are engaging with AI, the use for which is rapidly expanding.

Approximately 90% of respondents said they had used generative AI or heard of it, while just 10% do not know it. More than 40% of young men said they had tried it out.

Of those who had not used generative AI before, around 60% said they “want to try.”

For those who had used generative AI, when they were asked about what type, over 90% said “AI for generating text.” This was followed by “AI for generating images” with more than 30%, while less than 10% had used any other types of generative AI.

The most common purpose for using generative AI indicated by more than 60% of respondents was “to pass the time.” On the other hand, around 40% said “creating text for school homework or workplace materials,” but it was not clear if it was to cut corners or to complete work more efficiently.

Just over 30% of respondents said they had learned in class about the characteristics and risks of generative AI and only 20% said their schools had set rules on how to use it. While AI is starting to firmly establish itself, it appears that the rules for how younger people should approach it are still being worked out.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner image © Pixta.)