{"id":1164,"date":"2026-04-15T13:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T13:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gen-zai.org\/?post_type=genzaimedia&p=1164"},"modified":"2026-04-16T12:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T12:11:09","slug":"interview-series-gen-z-meets-ai-x-america-emma-11","status":"publish","type":"genzaimedia","link":"https:\/\/gen-zai.org\/en\/media\/interview-series-gen-z-meets-ai-x-america-emma-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview Series: Gen Z Meets AI \u00d7 America \u2014 Emma, 11"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emma is 11 years old and in the fifth grade at an elementary school in the western United States. She enjoys playing football with friends, studying writing, and doing theater. Growing up in a tech-savvy household \u2014 with smart speakers around the house and a father who works in research \u2014 she has had more hands-on exposure to AI than most kids her age, even if she doesn\u2019t always realize it.<\/p>\n

Already Living with AI<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Emma, AI is already part of daily life. \u201cI have like a bunch of smart speakers in my house, so I know that kind of stuff and it\u2019s really funny because there\u2019s so many things we can do,\u201d she says. She has also experienced self-driving technology firsthand and is confident it works: \u201cI think we\u2019ve already pretty much figured it out \u2014 you can put it on self-driving mode and it works really well.\u201d She uses Google Maps and coding tools at school, and has encountered various AI tools. Yet when asked what AI actually stands for, she is candid: \u201cIt sounds familiar but I\u2019ve never actually been told what it is. I hear my dad talk about it a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Future Full of Flying Cars and Crypto<\/strong><\/p>\n

Asked to imagine 2050, Emma is optimistic and imaginative. \u201cI think they\u2019re going to play a much, much bigger role. In 30 years we\u2019re going to go so far \u2014 they\u2019re already starting to make flying cars.\u201d She sees cryptocurrency becoming mainstream (\u201cwhatever my dad\u2019s talking about\u201d), and predicts that self-driving cars will be common while flying cars will be reserved for the wealthy who have pilot\u2019s licenses. Her own hopes for 2050 are charmingly grounded: she wants to be an actress, and maybe run an ice cream truck, just like her mom did.<\/p>\n

Where Robots Belong \u2014 and Where They Don\u2019t<\/strong><\/p>\n

Emma has clear and considered opinions about where AI should and shouldn\u2019t be used. She welcomes robots in restaurants (\u201cyou order on an iPad and the robot brings it to you \u2014 I bet you\u2019ll find one in Japan\u201d), for grading tests (\u201ctell the robot the correct answers and it checks them \u2014 the body could be shaped like a snowman\u201d), and for museum field-trip guides. She is strongly against AI in teaching (\u201cthey don\u2019t have feelings\u201d) and in childcare: \u201cNo matter how many times you test a robot it still might not work \u2014 and children might be scared of them, like how some kids are afraid of dogs.\u201d For the elderly, she is more open: \u201cIf an older person was in a wheelchair, maybe they could use the robot like a second body, controlling it with an iPad like a remote control car.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trust, Shape, and Political Lines<\/strong><\/p>\n

Emma\u2019s trust in AI is conditional but relatively high. \u201cThey don\u2019t move and can\u2019t hurt me. If I knew a robot had been properly tested to do a simple task, I\u2019d probably trust it.\u201d She does not want robots everywhere in her home. On shape, she is firm: \u201cDefinitely not one that looks like a giant human \u2014 that\u2019d just be creepy.\u201d If a child knew it was a robot, she says, the shape matters less. What unsettles her is deception: \u201cIf you told me something that looks and feels like a human is human, and it\u2019s actually machinery on the inside, I\u2019d be freaked out.\u201d On political decision-making by AI, she is emphatic: \u201cNo way. How would they know that climate change is a bad thing? A President has to brainstorm. I\u2019m not old enough to vote but if I could I wouldn\u2019t vote for a robot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learning and the Future of Work<\/strong><\/p>\n

Emma is not particularly motivated to learn about AI right now. \u201cOnce they actually start impacting my life I\u2019ll want to learn more, but right now it doesn\u2019t really affect me.\u201d On jobs, she is pragmatic: \u201cIf the robot starts doing jobs, I\u2019m pretty sure people will find new jobs eventually.\u201d She is clear about what she wants to keep for herself: \u201cRobots can do the dishes. I should do my own homework because it helps me learn. Robots can\u2019t take the job I want as an actress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u203bEmma's<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

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