AI-empowered social robots in early childhood classrooms: roles, challenges, and opportunities

Abstract This study examined the integration of an AI-powered social robot into a Chinese language learning classroom for second-grade students in a public elementary school in Southern China. Over an 8-week period, an AI-empowered social robot was incorporated into the curriculum, with sessions conducted weekly for 35 minutes. Data were systematically collected through classroom recordings and interviews with the teacher and children. The research aimed to address three key questions: how to effectively integrate an AI social robot into the practical curriculum, the roles the robot plays within the classroom, and the challenges and future opportunities for both teachers and students. Participants were 44 typically developing, native-Chinese-speaking second graders. The findings underscored the importance of collaborative planning and adopting a suitable theoretical framework to guide the integration of an AI social robot. Classroom recordings revealed specific roles played by the robot: teacher assistants, social partners, and learning companions. The teacher’s interview responses provided challenges faced during their AI social robot-assisted lessons, categorizing (1) teaching-related, (2) ethical and security-related, and (3) technical or functional challenges. The children also reported challenges they encountered: (1) functional defects, (2) teaching errors, and (3) technical failures. Overall, the present study’s findings suggested how to integrate social robots into the practical curriculum and paved the way for more effective incorporation of AI technologies into the primary school curriculum.