AI興起未有令家長不再支持子女發展 STEM 興趣

The research found that a range of factors can impact why a parent may support a child’s STEM ambitions, including their own career and AI use.

A report published today (29 October) by STEM South West has found that, despite the concerns around artificial intelligence, eight out of 10 parents are still encouraging their school-aged children to engage with STEM.

STEM South West is an industry-led initiative that brings together Ireland’s tech, pharmaceutical, science and engineering giants, alongside SMEs and stakeholders, to identify and address problems facing the STEM sector in the South-West. 

The report gathered information from 1,000 adults nationwide and discovered that, of those who contributed to the research, almost one-quarter are likely to encourage a child to engage with STEM even more than they would have prior to the rise of AI. 

Comparatively, only 8pc said they are less likely to and only 12pc said they wouldn’t encourage a child into STEM at all.

Monkey see, monkey do

According to the report, people’s own use of AI had some bearing on how likely they would be to support their child’s foray into the AI space.

Among frequent or daily AI users, 36pc said they would encourage a child towards STEM more than before, compared to the 25pc of non-AI users who wouldn’t. 

ICT professionals were also found to be particularly supportive, as 41pc said they would encourage a child towards STEM more than before, while 94pc said they would encourage a child at least as much as they would have before recent advances in AI. 

Commenting on the research, Aine McCarthy, the chair of STEM South West said, “It’s really encouraging that people continue to believe strongly in the opportunities a career in STEM can offer young people. There has understandably been a lot of discussion about what AI could mean for future jobs, but these findings show that confidence in STEM remains strong.

“What is particularly interesting is the difference we see among people who use AI regularly, where greater familiarity with the technology is associated with a more positive outlook on STEM careers. That reinforces the importance of giving young people opportunities not simply to use AI, but to understand it and develop the skills to work alongside it.”

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