"Hello, Mr Tree": Toying with Playful Conversational AI in the Early Years

The use of generative AI is increasingly integrated into childhood education, primarily with text-to-image generation and older age ranges. This late-breaking work looks at the use of a prototype technology using voiced conversational AI (CAI) to engage young children’s interest in nature, through the role-play of a character: the ‘Talking Tree’. Using research-through-design, we conducted six interactive sessions with children aged 3 to 5 years. These drove the iterative development of the device and provided insight into how CAI might be applied within the context of early learning. We found that the device operated within children’s performative social interactions and within their imagination to prompt recollections of nature and fantastic diversions. We contribute insight into the use of conversational AI for learning in the busy environments of early childhood education centres and the use of CAI-performed fictional characters to build children’s connection with nature.