Student Engagement with Generative AI Chat Bots and the Future of Technology in Missouri Schools
By : Natalie Lo
In 2024, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign published a study on teenagers' use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI). The study, done by Dr. Yang Wang and doctoral student Yaman Yu, found that parents have little understanding of GAI, how their children use it and its potential risks, and that GAI platforms offer insufficient protection to ensure children’s safety.
The study found that teenagers often use GAI chatbots as therapy assistants or confidants to provide non-judgmental emotional support. This includes revealing personal information about trauma. Interviewed parents from the study reported wanting child-specific AI with only age-appropriate content or a way to embed age- and topic-control.
In Missouri, State Representative Tricia Byrnes, proposed House Bill 22-30, which would limit screen time to 45 minutes per day in kindergarten through 5th grade. In 2025, Governor Kehoe signed Senate Bill 68, which enacted a statewide ban on electronic communication devices in Missouri public and charter schools. These policies demonstrate an approach to combat children’s use of GAI and reduce dependence on technology.
As concerns grow and information comes out about the dangers of GAI, policymakers, educators, and caregivers continue to look for ways to support all students in a technology-ridden world.
Published May 2025
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As concerns grow and information comes out about the dangers of GAI, policymakers, educators, and caregivers continue to look for ways to support all students in a technology-ridden world.