AI & Digital Play
Artificial intelligence is changing digital experiences. PLAYS adopts a child development lens to consider how AI-enabled experiences can be designed and used thoughtfully for children.
A PLAYS perspective by Dr. Jayanti Prakash, Creator of PLAYS: A Framework for Digital Play™
The PLAYS position
The starting point for any AI-enabled experience should not be what the technology can do. It should be what children at a particular stage of development need, what they are ready for, and what will support their learning, agency, relationships and well-being.
Children's development is holistic and interconnected. An AI feature may influence how a child thinks and solves problems, communicates, manages emotions, builds relationships, moves through the world or expresses creativity. These effects need to be considered together, in the context of the child's age, abilities, culture, language and circumstances.
AI should extend opportunities for exploration and expression without taking over children's thinking, replacing responsive adults or narrowing opportunities for hands-on, social and imaginative play.
The PLAYS lens
A whole-child perspective
When reviewing an AI-enabled experience, PLAYS encourages teams to consider how it may shape several interconnected areas of children's development.
Does AI invite children to reason, investigate, remember, imagine and solve problems, or does it do the thinking for them?
Does it create meaningful opportunities for children to listen, speak, tell stories, ask questions and communicate with people?
Does it support emotional expression, self-regulation, empathy, collaboration and relationships without simulating care in ways that confuse children?
Does it leave room for movement, sensory exploration, manipulation of real objects, outdoor play and healthy routines?
Does it give children space to invent, make, pretend, experiment and develop their own ideas rather than simply accept generated outputs?
Are children's languages, cultures, abilities, identities and different ways of learning represented respectfully and accessibly?
Developmental fit matters. Age bands can be a useful starting point, but they are not a substitute for understanding individual variation, disability, context, prior experience and the child's own perspective.
AI across the PLAYS ecosystem
PLAYS can help organisations think through where AI adds value and where safeguards, human oversight or non-digital alternatives are essential.
01 / Assess
AI may help organise evidence, summarise responses and identify patterns across the five PLAYS dimensions. Qualified reviewers remain responsible for interpretation and any formal assessment decision.
02 / Design
Support product teams to brainstorm play opportunities, review design choices, generate inclusive design prompts and examine whether an experience preserves children's agency.
03 / Learn
Use AI-enabled learning support to help educators, parents and designers navigate resources, reflect on scenarios and identify relevant next steps.
04 / Research
Assist researchers with literature discovery, evidence organisation, thematic coding and synthesis, with source verification and researcher oversight.
05 / Access
Explore responsible uses such as translation, reading support, alternative formats and accessible interaction, while testing outputs with the people they are intended to serve.
06 / Govern
Help organisations consider age appropriateness, privacy, data minimisation, transparency, bias, safety, safeguarding and human accountability in AI-enabled products for children.
Try the PLAYS AI design prompt
This guided demonstration helps a team frame an early design question through the PLAYS principles and a child development lens. It prompts consideration of developmental stage, intended outcomes, adult relationships and the child's wider experiences. It does not connect to an AI model or assess a real product; it provides a structured prompt for a human-led design discussion.
Prototype only: do not enter children's names, personal information, private records or sensitive data. This tool does not provide a safety clearance, clinical advice or certification decision.
“The question is not simply what AI can do. It is whether it helps create experiences that are more meaningful for children.”
Responsible by design
Start with children's developmental needs, rights, interests and contexts rather than starting with a technology feature.
Keep educators, caregivers, researchers and qualified professionals accountable for decisions that affect children.
Minimise data collection, avoid unnecessary profiling, protect personal information and make AI use understandable to adults and children.
Connect
Get in touch about working with PLAYS.
