Growing up with Algorithms: How AI is Rewiring Childhood and Youth

The Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Lahore, convened a roundtable on 4 February 2026, titled “Growing Up with Algorithms: How AI Is Rewiring Childhood and Youth”, to examine the profound ways in which artificial intelligence is reshaping the social, cognitive, and emotional landscapes of childhood and adolescence. The discussion assessed the growing embeddedness of AI systems in education, communication, and entertainment, and their influence on how young people learn, interact, and form their sense of identity.

 

In her opening remarks, Ms Faiza Abid, Research Assistant at CASS, underscored AI’s transformative role in shaping contemporary childhood and youth experiences, noting that algorithmic systems increasingly mediate learning, social interaction, and access to knowledge. While these technologies offer avenues for creativity, engagement, and connectivity, they also exert subtle pressures on attention, decision-making, and identity formation, raising important questions about cognitive, emotional, and social development. Ms Abid emphasised the ethical and developmental responsibilities of parents, educators, and society, and outlined the roundtable’s goal of fostering dialogue on strategies to ensure AI supports healthy development, curiosity, and well-being among young people.

 

In the first session, Dr Ibrar Hussain framed AI as an invisible infrastructural layer shaping children’s learning, play, and social experiences. He argued that AI should no longer be seen merely as a tool, but as an agent actively structuring cognitive development, mediating engagement, and reconfiguring exploration. Emphasising that AI must serve as a thought partner rather than a thought leader, he highlighted the dangers of overreliance on algorithmic outputs and the importance of human guidance in AI interactions. Dr Hussain stressed that responsible AI use requires deliberate prompt engineering and contextual understanding, particularly in educational and recreational settings.

 

He illustrated his points with examples of AI-driven games, adaptive learning platforms, and interactive classroom systems, showing how personalised technologies can enhance focus, engagement, and skill acquisition while integrating learning across home and school. Simultaneously, he stressed that human empathy and communication remain essential, as children’s social skills, creativity, and emotional understanding develop through sustained interaction with caring adults. He concluded by framing children as future strategists and cognitive assets, emphasising that AI integration must balance safety, data security, and holistic development.

 

In the second session, Dr Shazia Hasan examined the foundational role of early childhood experiences and social environments in shaping identity, cognition, and agency. She noted that children’s minds are initially structured through interactions with caregivers, peers, and educators, as well as sensory experiences and social learning. Identity, she explained, develops across biological, psychological, and narrative continuities, influenced by family, society, and culture. In the contemporary digital context, AI has become a pervasive influence, shaping children’s perceptions of themselves and the world, with developmental opportunities alongside risks of distorted self-perception.

 

Dr Hasan highlighted AI’s impact on agency, autonomy, and cognitive development, emphasising that while AI can facilitate personalised learning, global knowledge access, and social simulations, it cannot replace human judgement, empathy, or independent thought. Over-reliance on AI, she warned, may foster confusion, cognitive dependence, and skewed beliefs about identity and decision-making. Parents, educators, and mentors therefore carry a critical responsibility: to nurture self-efficacy, resilience, and critical thinking, guiding children to engage with AI as a supportive tool while retaining control over their choices, creativity, and ethical reasoning.

 

During the interactive session, both speakers explored the practical, ethical, and developmental challenges of AI integration. Dr Hussain emphasised that AI must act as a co-pilot, not a thought leader, urging users to critically engage with outputs rather than accept them uncritically. Dr Hasan drew attention to the influence of family legacies, attachment, and intergenerational dynamics on children’s interaction with AI, shaping creativity, confidence, and moral judgment. The speakers agreed that while younger generations naturally integrate digital realities into daily life, guidance from parents, educators, and policymakers is essential to cultivate agency, resilience, and ethical discernment.

 

In his concluding remarks, Air Marshal Asim Suleiman (Retd) emphasised that AI is no longer a distant concept but a formative influence on everyday life, shaping how children learn, relate to others, and understand themselves. He noted that AI subtly guides attention, behaviour, and social interactions, often without conscious awareness, making guidance from families, educators, and communities indispensable. He stressed the importance of safe spaces where children can explore identity, values, and online responsibility, while adults model ethical and reflective technology use to foster autonomy and confidence. Furthermore, he highlighted the role of policy, governance, and multi-stakeholder collaboration in ensuring AI remains human-centred. Decisions made today, he concluded, will shape how future generations think, act, and thrive in AI-driven environments, underlining the need for shared responsibility, ethical awareness, and long-term thinking.