SHOULD CHILDREN LEARN TO USE AI BEFORE READING AND WRITING?

Abstract. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming part of children's everyday lives, raising important questions about when and how young learners should be introduced to these technologies. This study explores public perceptions of whether children should learn to use AI before acquiring independent reading and writing skills. A quantitative survey was conducted among 351 respondents in Uzbekistan, including parents, school and preschool teachers, university lecturers, students, researchers, and individuals from other professional backgrounds. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via Telegram and analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that 89.2% of respondents were very or somewhat familiar with ChatGPT. While only 27% agreed or strongly agreed that AI could support children's language development before literacy acquisition, 81.1% expressed positive views about voice-based AI tools for second-language learning. Furthermore, 59.5% believed that children should be introduced to AI after the age of ten. These findings reveal a distinction between general attitudes towards early AI use and perceptions of its specific educational applications. The study concludes that AI literacy may become a valuable component of early education, provided that its implementation is age-appropriate, guided by adults, and designed to complement rather than replace foundational literacy skills, human interaction, and independent learning.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, AI literacy, young children, early childhood education, reading, writing, language development, public perceptions, voice-based AI.