Navigating AI in ECEC: Building Literacy Before Implementation 

Navigating AI in early childhood education and care (ECEC) requires educators to build foundational literacy before rushing into implementation. While AI offers exciting possibilities, from personalised learning tools to accessible professional development, many educators lack the knowledge to use these tools responsibly, risking children’s privacy and safety. AI literacy means understanding what tools can and cannot do, recognising ethical concerns and knowing how to integrate technology pedagogically. Services should adopt an education-first approach that involves testing tools in low-stakes staff contexts, confirming data safety and ensuring educators identify as AI literate before any child-facing use. The goal is thoughtful adoption that strengthens critical thinking and keeps human expertise at the centre of early childhood education. 

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept reserved for tech companies. It’s here, accessible and making its way into early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Despite the initial appeal, several practical and ethical aspects must be considered when navigating AI in ECEC. As the sector enthusiastically embraces this new technology, a critical question emerges.  

Are we moving too fast? 

The current state of AI adoption in ECEC 

The ECEC sector has always been known for its progressive spirit and willingness to embrace innovation. This enthusiasm is a strength and a potential vulnerability when it comes to AI adoption. Educators are eager to explore new tools and technologies. They want to experiment with emerging platforms and enhance their practice. But many professionals in the sector didn’t grow up with AI. These tools weren’t specifically designed for ECEC contexts until very recently. 

This creates a unique challenge. The sector is ready to innovate. But it may lack the foundational knowledge needed to do so safely and effectively. The risk of moving forward blindly—working things out as we go—is real. It could have significant implications for children’s privacy, safety and learning experiences. 

Understanding AI literacy—the foundation for safe implementation 

Before any service considers implementing AI with children, critical groundwork must be done. AI literacy isn’t just about knowing how to use a tool. It’s a multifaceted competency that includes five key dimensions. 

Technological proficiency 

It’s necessary to understand what various AI tools can do. This includes their strengths, functions and which tools suit specific situations. Using the wrong AI application for the wrong task won’t work. 

Pedagogical knowledge 

We must learn how to teach with AI tools effectively. This involves integrating them into learning experiences. It must be done in a way that enhances, rather than replaces, human interaction. 

Professional application 

Understanding how to use AI appropriately within the education industry is crucial. Educators must develop their capabilities over the long term. 

Limitations and ethics 

Perhaps most crucially, we must recognise AI’s weaknesses, ethical concerns and potential harms. Data privacy and environmental impact must be considered. The risk of outsourcing critical thinking must also be examined.  

Teaching AI literacy 

We must be able to pass this knowledge on to students. That includes all the baggage and shortcomings of the technology. 

Without this foundational literacy, educators can’t be the ‘expert in the room.’  They can’t be the human check that ensures AI outputs are accurate, appropriate and beneficial. 

Navigating AI in ECEC—an ethical minefield of child safety and data privacy 

When it comes to implementing AI in ECEC settings, child safety must be non-negotiable. This encompasses many dimensions: child protection, privacy and children’s access to digital technologies. Before implementation, ECEC services must address fundamental questions about what AI does with children’s data. 

The concern about ‘data hoovering’ is genuine. AI systems collect vast amounts of information. Companies may promise not to use data from specific educational contexts. Yet security breaches do happen. Not all actors on the internet are trustworthy, and data that seems secure today may not remain so. 

Beyond immediate privacy concerns lies a longer-term ethical challenge. We run the risk of creating students who   

There are profound implications for education and society if students fail to develop critical AI literacy. 

There’s also the concern about educators losing foundational skills. Pre-service teachers immediately turn to AI for help with tasks. This includes creating picture books or writing stories. When they don’t develop these capabilities themselves, they lose something essential. They lose the creative and pedagogical skills that come from hands-on practice and trial and error. Prompts and algorithms can’t replace consuming countless children’s books and educational programs. 

The digital divide—access and equity considerations 

Technology rollouts often follow a pattern. The digital divide initially widens before it eventually decreases. Early adopters—often those with more resources—gain advantages first. But as technology becomes more ubiquitous and accessible, benefits spread more widely.  

The free-access model that some AI platforms have adopted is genuinely democratising. If you have a digital device, you can access powerful AI tools at no cost. This is quite unprecedented in educational technology. It offers real potential for closing learning gaps through personalised AI tutoring systems.    

But equity isn’t just about access to technology—it’s also about access to time. Educators need dedicated time to  

This means going beyond minimum planning time. We must ensure that all staff members, regardless of their role or experience level, have opportunities to learn. 

For services in rural and regional areas, sporadic internet access and limited hardware present extra challenges. Creative solutions can help address these barriers. For example, using service-issued smartphones for training rather than requiring computer access. 

A thoughtful approach to navigating AI in ECEC 

For services wondering where to begin, the answer is clear. When navigating AI in ECEC,  start with education, not implementation. Professional learning about AI literacy should be a priority. This learning needs to come from credible sources. That means people with a deep understanding of AI technology and expertise in ECEC. 

Before rolling out any AI tool with children, services should test it in low-stakes contexts. This might include using AI to help with planning, resource development or administrative tasks. The goal is to build confidence and competency. This must occur before introducing AI into high-stakes situations involving children’s learning. 

An AI readiness checklist for any service should include two non-negotiables:  

Additionally, teams should investigate and test the specific applications they plan to use. They must understand that different AI tools handle data and function differently. 

Strengthening rather than replacing critical thinking: ‘What if it’s wrong?’ 

Educators may benefit from implementing a simple but essential habit. It involves asking a simple question with every AI interaction. 

‘What if it’s wrong?’  

This question should follow every prompt and every output. How would I know if this is incorrect? How do I check? What perspective might be missing? 

AI lacks human judgment and critical thinking. It can produce content that seems authoritative. But upon closer inspection, it’s actually inaccurate, biased or inappropriate. Educators who fail to critically evaluate output risk passing flawed information to children and families. 

Rather than diminishing critical thinking, AI could enhance it—if used correctly. AI outputs provide another thing to be critical about. They’re another source that requires verification and analysis. But this only works if educators approach AI with appropriate scepticism from the outset. 

Navigating AI in ECEC and your priorities for the coming year 

As the ECEC sector continues to navigate AI integration, one priority stands above others: slowing down. The technology isn’t going anywhere. There’s time to build strong foundations and develop genuine AI literacy. We have time to work through all the ethical considerations. There’s no need to rush to implement the latest tool. 

Services need access to quality educational resources that explain how AI works. They must understand its strengths, limitations and the ethical concerns surrounding its use. Information relevant to ECEC contexts must be accessible to all. 

The sector also needs to maintain its human-centric focus. AI should serve relationships between educators, children and families—never replace them. Tools and systems must enhance human capabilities. They must expand educational toolkits and support better differentiation and personalisation. When used appropriately and effectively, AI can make educators better at their craft. But ‘appropriately and effectively’ requires literacy, thoughtfulness and patience. 

Excitement tempered with responsibility 

The potential of AI in early childhood education is genuinely exciting. It includes significant opportunities to make professional learning more accessible. The potential extends to creating contextually relevant resources and expanding creative possibilities.  AI literacy can transform educators. It can give them enhanced capabilities. It can help personalise learning and align their practice with their educational philosophies. 

But this excitement must be tempered with responsibility. The sector’s enthusiasm for innovation is an asset. But it must be coupled with deep consideration of ethics, equity and child safety. The question isn’t whether AI belongs in ECEC—it’s already here in various forms. The question is how we engage with it: thoughtfully or hastily, literately or blindly. Is it a tool to enhance human connection or a replacement for human judgment? 

The path forward requires building AI literacy first and testing in adult-facing contexts. It means maintaining children’s safety and privacy as non-negotiables. We must ensure humans remain the experts in the room.

How?

By slowing down and building strong foundations. This will enable the sector to harness the potential of AI. We can do this while protecting what matters most: the children, families and educators at the heart of ECEC. 

Are you interested in exploring the implementation of AI tools at your service? We invite you to listen to this discussion on navigating AI in ECEC, part of the ECEC Conversations series. This dialogue on ethical considerations, becoming AI literate and practical AI tools is one you’ll want to share with your team.