AI workshop improves teens’ ability to spot fake videos and images

Researchers are increasingly concerned about the potential harm that synthetic media such as deepfakes can have on young people, but our understanding of their exposure and behavior remains inadequate. Christian Bergh, Alexandra Vassar and Natasha Banks from the University of New South Wales and Day of AI Australia, along with Jessica Xu and Jake Renzella, investigated whether targeted workshops could improve Australian secondary school students’ understanding of artificial intelligence, raise awareness of related safety issues and increase interest in STEM careers. A mixed-methods study that analyzed data from 205 students pre-intervention and 163 students post-intervention revealed that over 80% had seen deepfakes and were exposed to deepfakes at baseline, indicating that the workshop was successful in improving students’ knowledge and ability to identify AI in everyday platforms. Although the impact on long-term STEM aspirations was modest, these findings highlight the value of scalable AI literacy programs in equipping young people with the critical skills needed to navigate an increasingly integrated world.

Australian secondary students’ initial AI awareness and post-workshop knowledge acquisition was assessed by pre-test and post-test

Scientists have demonstrated that a workshop-based intervention designed to improve the AI ​​literacy of Australian secondary school students has had significant effects. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Day of AI Australia curriculum in increasing students’ understanding of artificial intelligence, its ethical implications, and its potential to impact STEM career paths.
Using a mixed methods approach, the team analyzed pre- and post-intervention survey data completed by 205 students initially and 163 students post-intervention to assess changes in knowledge, confidence, and career interest. Baseline data revealed worrisome levels of exposure to synthetic media, with 82.4% of students reporting having seen a deepfake, 18.5% sharing a deepfake, and 7.3% creating a deepfake.

This study found improvements in self-reported AI knowledge and confidence following the workshop, as well as significant changes in students’ perceptions of AI-driven systems. Before the intervention, students often viewed tools like Netflix, Spotify, and TikTok as simply “algorithm-based,” but after the intervention they demonstrated a deeper understanding of the underlying AI foundations.

This suggests that the workshop was successful in promoting a more nuanced conceptual understanding of AI beyond surface-level interactions. Furthermore, although the effect size was small, this study demonstrated a positive correlation between workshop participation and increased interest in STEM careers, indicating the need for continued educational efforts.

Researchers found that this intervention broadened students’ awareness of AI in everyday recommendation systems and provided practical connections between abstract concepts and digital life. This study opens the possibility of designing instruction that effectively connects sociotechnical AI concepts to adolescents’ lived experiences.

The findings support the implementation of a scalable AI literacy program that integrates fundamental AI concepts with a specific focus on safety aspects of synthetic media. This study contributes to empirical evidence on the short-term impact of a workshop-based AI literacy intervention implemented in three Australian public secondary schools and provides a construct-level profile of students’ baseline AI literacy and ethical understanding.

Assessing changes in AI literacy, ethical understanding, and interest in STEM through pre- and post-workshop surveys is important for program evaluation

Researchers conducted a mixed-methods study to assess the impact of the Day of AI Australia workshop-based intervention on Australian secondary students in Years 7 to 10. In this study, we conducted a pre- and post-intervention survey and collected baseline data from 205 students and post-intervention data from 163 students to analyze AI literacy and related behavioral changes.

Baseline data revealed that 82.4% of students had encountered a deepfake, of which 18.5% had shared a deepfake, and 7.3% had created one, revealing significant exposure to synthetic media. The research team conducted a survey aimed at assessing students’ ability to identify AI in everyday tools, their understanding of AI ethics, training, and safety, and their interest in pursuing STEM-related careers.

Specifically, the pre- and post-intervention surveys included questions measuring self-reported knowledge and confidence levels regarding AI concepts. The researchers analyzed responses to determine changes in understanding after the workshop. This study pioneered a method to measure conceptual understanding of AI that goes beyond simple knowledge recall and assesses students’ ability to recognize AI-driven systems rather than just “algorithm-based” tools.

Scientists carefully studied student responses to AI recognition within popular platforms such as Netflix, Spotify, and TikTok and established a direct link between workshop participation and improved identification skills. The team focused on key conceptual statements related to AI training, bias, and privacy and used effect size estimation to quantify changes in student perceptions.

Additionally, this study evaluated the impact of the workshop on students’ aspirations for STEM careers and acknowledged that sustained interventions may be required to achieve substantial and long-term effects on career choices. This approach allows for a nuanced understanding of the impact of workshops on both cognitive understanding and attitudinal change in adolescent learners.

Increased AI awareness and knowledge after workshop among secondary school students proved beneficial

Scientists conducted a study to assess the impact of an AI literacy workshop on Australian secondary students from Years 7 to 10. The researchers analyzed changes in students’ AI knowledge, ethical understanding, and interest in STEM careers using a pre- and post-intervention survey in which 205 students initially completed both surveys and 163 students completed both surveys.

Baseline data revealed significant exposure to synthetic media, with 82.4% of students having seen a deepfake, 18.5% of them sharing a deepfake, and 7.3% creating a deepfake. Results show a measurable increase in self-reported AI knowledge and confidence following the workshop. Students demonstrated an increasing awareness of AI within everyday platforms such as Netflix, Spotify, and TikTok, demonstrating a shift in understanding from viewing these tools simply as “algorithm-based” to recognizing them as AI-driven systems.

The team measured this conceptual shift through survey responses that assessed students’ understanding of how these platforms work. Additionally, this study documented an increase in students’ interest in STEM careers after the workshop, although the observed effect size was small. Data shows that while the workshops generated some interest, a continuing education approach is likely needed to have a significant impact on long-term career aspirations.

Measurements confirmed that this intervention successfully combined fundamental concepts of AI with a clear focus on the safety of synthetic media. This study provides a construct-level profile of students’ baseline AI literacy, tool usage patterns, and ethical understanding. Effect size estimates for post-intervention changes in self-reported conceptual descriptions of AI knowledge, confidence, training, bias, and privacy were also calculated. This effort will support a scalable AI literacy program designed to connect sociotechnical AI concepts to the digital lives of youth and address the growing risks associated with synthetic media.

Increasing AI literacy and changing perceptions among Australian secondary school students is critical to future success

Scientists have demonstrated that a workshop-based intervention can improve Australian secondary school students’ understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications. This study assessed the impact of Day of AI Australia workshops on students in Years 7 to 10 using pre- and post-intervention surveys completed by 205 and 163 students, respectively.

Analysis revealed a significant increase in self-reported AI knowledge and confidence after the workshop, as well as an improved ability to identify AI within everyday platforms such as Netflix, Spotify, and TikTok. The researchers found that 82.4% of students had previously encountered deepfakes, with a smaller proportion reporting creating or sharing such content.

This intervention facilitated a change in students’ perceptions, moving them away from viewing these tools as simply “algorithm-based” and toward seeing them as AI-driven systems. The workshops also showed a small but positive effect on students’ interest in STEM careers, but the authors suggest that a continuing education approach is needed to solidify these aspirations.

This study acknowledges that the uneven distribution of Indigenous participants across schools and the lack of specific analysis of their responses represent limitations. This research highlights the potential for scalable AI literacy programs that equip young people with the skills to safely and ethically manipulate synthetic media.

The findings support the more systematic embedding of AI education into Australian curricula, potentially mitigating the growing digital skills gap. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to assess the impact of long-term knowledge retention and sustained AI education on STEM participation, prioritizing culturally responsive frameworks to ensure equitable access, especially for Indigenous students.