One of the first steps of the program was to undertake a rapid literature review. A collaborative project with the University of Sydney, this review will be publicly launched early next term. By way of a sneak peek: the review examined more than 800 studies on AI and young people since 2022. While early findings suggest AI may support motivation, engagement, and confidence in some contexts, significant questions remain about deeper learning, cognition, relationships, wellbeing, and human development.

In response, the Barker Institute has developed a coordinated portfolio of research organised around five further questions:

Thinking – How is AI changing how students think and learn?

Becoming – Who are we becoming through our interaction with AI?

Acting – How should we use AI wisely and responsibly?

Building – How can AI strengthen educational practice and systems?

Experiencing – What is it actually like to grow up with AI?

Over the coming months, we will share findings, project updates, publications, and opportunities for collaboration across each of the areas.

To provide an idea of what each of these portfolios look like, you can read an overview by clicking here. The overview provides a snapshot of the program, the research questions guiding our work, and the projects within each portfolio currently underway.

We welcome educators, researchers, schools, and community partners to join the conversation as we seek to understand how AI can enhance learning while preserving the intellectual, ethical, creative, and relational capacities that underpin human flourishing.