Gowri Balasubramaniam's Preliminary Exam
PhD student Gowri Balasubramaniam will present her dissertation proposal, "Seen, Not Surveilled: Youth-Centered Perspectives on Age-Appropriate Artificial Intelligence." Her preliminary examination committee includes Assistant Professor Rachel Magee (Chair), Assistant Professor Madelyn Sanfilippo, Professor Michael Twidale, and Associate Professor Colin Rhinesmith.
Abstract
Current governance frameworks for age-appropriate AI, including the UK Age-Appropriate Design Code and UNICEF's Policy Guidance on AI for Children, are defined almost entirely by adults, with limited empirical grounding in how young people themselves understand or experience these systems. This dissertation investigates how youth ages 11–17 conceptualize "age-appropriate" AI and navigate tensions between care and control in determining what is appropriate for them. Anchored by the conceptual tension between being seen and being surveilled, the study employs a three-phase participatory design: metaphor elicitation activities and semi-structured interviews to surface youth mental models of AI; youth jury focus groups where participants evaluate existing adult-led framework principles; and comparative analysis mapping convergence and divergence between youth-generated perspectives and current governance approaches. This research contributes empirical data on youth lived experiences with AI, advances embodied and design-based methods for engaging young people in sociotechnical inquiry, and works toward reframing age-appropriate AI beyond risk-based categories toward asset-based, relational, and experiential frameworks.
Question? Contact Gowri Balasubrmaniam.