“AI will not replace our ability to think”
Artificial intelligence is intruding into young people's daily lives, from resume writing to dating apps. How are they experiencing this technological revolution? High school and CEGEP students speak out.
Between fascination and vigilance
It's inspiring, but it's also scary, because it's not the truth , says Jérémie about computer-generated images. Rita notes the omnipresence of AI on social networks, where it sometimes becomes invasive , while Camila worries about the risk of intellectual laziness: Humans like what is simple. Her solution? Set limits on yourself. Noémie agrees: You have to use it for ideas, to go beyond the blank page... but then you have to know how to choose well.
Thoughtful uses
These observations emerge from AI workshops organized by Radio-Canada in the fall of 2024 in public libraries. The initiative aims to demystify technology among young people while cultivating their critical thinking.
As the discussions progressed, the uses of AI proved to be as varied as they were creative. Raphaël found it to be a support for his dyslexia, gaining confidence in French. Zakaria used it to program: It is literally an educational tool. I create video games, I am a beginner, and AI allows me to learn faster. For writing CVs, many see it as a valuable help, while ensuring that their authenticity is preserved. The same observation applies to dating apps: there is no question of pretending to be someone else.
Zora sums up the situation: if parents are afraid that it will replace the ability to think , for her it is a question of learning to use AI wisely, like social networks.
Voices to be heard
Several reports highlight the importance of making more room for young people in discussions on the supervision and development of AI. In a report published in 2024, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) recommends including children and adolescents in the research and development of AI technologies . A position that is in line with the Strategic Directions on AI for Children published by UNICEF in 2021.
For Yoshua Bengio, founder and scientific director of Mila, the Quebec artificial intelligence institute, young people are not heard enough in these debates. AI will change the world, he says. The decisions we make must take everyone's interests into account. A concern shared by Jérémie: AI is an extraordinary tool. The important thing is to learn how to use it well, while respecting what is fundamentally human.
AI : Next Generation
The thoughts of young people cross those of researchers, artists and professionals in a special program that will be presented on Sunday, January 5 at 8 p.m. on ICI PREMIÈRE, with Chloé Sondervorst. Together, they explore four dimensions of our future in relation to AI : learning, creation, work and social relations.
Guests : Sasha Luccioni, Head of AI and Climate at Hugging Face, Yoshua Bengio, Scientific Director of Mila, the Quebec Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Martine Bertrand, Artificial Intelligence Specialist, Industrial, Light and Magic, Noel Baldwin, Executive Director, Future Skills Centre, Andréane Sabourin Laflamme, Professor of Philosophy at Collège André-Laurendeau and Co-Founder of the Digital Ethics and AI Laboratory, Keivan Farzaneh, Senior Techno-Educational Advisor at Collège Sainte-Anne, Kerlando Morette, Entrepreneur, President and Founder of AddAd Media, Jocelyne Agnero, Project Manager, Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi downtown Montreal, Douaa Kachache, Comedian, Matthieu Dugal, Host, Marie-José Montpetit, Digital Technology Researcher and Elias Djemil-Matassov, Multidisciplinary Artist.
These workshops were held in the Julio-Jean-Pierre library in Montreal North, the Monique-Corriveau library in Quebec City and the Créalab of the Robert-Lussier library in Repentigny with the participation of students and teachers from the De Rochebelle and Henri-Bourassa schools as well as students and teachers from the Cégep de Lanaudière in L'Assomption, and with the collaboration of IVADO and the Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec.
