Alison has worked in the Early Years for 40 years, as a nursery manager, early years teacher, and even an Early Years Development Officer for a Local Authority. Nowadays, she’s a procedure and policy genius, helping settings navigate everything from Ofsted, the EYFS, and safeguarding, to schemas, and behaviour and wellbeing. Alison even sat on the panel to award our first children’s champion winner.
AI, or artificial intelligence, is technology with the ability to ‘think’ and learn for itself. Very simply, AI-driven technology can complete tasks, make decisions, and improve over time without needing new programming or human input.
Traditional AI can make decisions within a set of rules. Traditional AI cannot create anything new, or ‘think’ outside the lines of the rules programmes into it by a human.
Generative AI can learn and use information and data from humans, and also create texts, images, and other content. Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are what Alison is such a fan of.
Alison explains that utilising new and unfamiliar technology, like AI systems, can be overwhelming for some people.
"We sit side by side at the computer," explains Alison, "We open ChatGPT first and people are absolutely blown away, once they're in."
Alison offers this interactive learning experience when going into Early Years settings to support. As Alison shows the team how to use AI in early education, educators can see the potential benefits before they have a go themselves.
And, if you're not sure where to start, you can have a go at many AI-powered platforms for free. "I would definitely recommend the free version before you get the paid versions," advises Alison.
However, there are limitations to how much you can rely on AI. Alison explains that AI like ChatGPT is trained on older information, so might not be completely up-to-date in terms of policies and procedures or current data-driven insights.
"I would not be a fan of bringing AI into toys," says Alison.
As much as Alison is a fan of how AI assists the adults, real-life play is essential for how we support children. Human interactions are key to personal, social, and language development for young children in a way that AI just cannot replicate.
In short, no.
We can embrace AI in the Early Years, but nothing replaces a skilled, qualified educator.
"Nobody's going to replace us" reassures Alison. "There's never going to be robots looking after children."
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