SUSS ECE Public Lecture Series

See below for more information about the third installation in the series.

Developmentally Aligned AI: A Framework for Translating the Science of Early Childhood Development into AI Design

What would it mean to design AI not for the average user, but for the young child whose fingers still miss the screen, who forgets the instructions halfway through, and who greets the voice in the box as a friend? 

This talk proposes Developmentally Aligned Design (DAD) as a practical and ethical framework for building AI systems that meet young children where they are - cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Building on the long-standing principle of developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood education, it theorises four principles of developmentally-aligned design: (1) perceptual fit (2) cognitive scaffolding (3) interface simplicity and (4) relational integrity.

Through illustrative examples, it demonstrates how the science of early childhood development can become a core intellectual engine of next‑generation AI innovation, and sensitise AI systems to the distinct perceptual, cognitive, and socio‑emotional needs of young children.

About the Speaker
Dr. Nomisha Kurian is an Assistant Professor in Education Studies at the University of Warwick. She researches children's safety and wellbeing and how digital technologies, particularly AI, can best support child development. She has advised the UK Government Open Innovation Team, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Internet Matters and other organisations on child safety and AI, led policy briefs for the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies, and co-authored reports on tackling childhood inequality and adversity for the World Bank and Plan International. Her work has been covered by CNN, BBC, The Guardian and SkyNews, and has received the University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor's Award for Social Impact and the University of Cambridge Applied Research Award.