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A new academic study has revealed that Portugal stands well above the European average in youth engagement with artificial intelligence, with nearly 85 percent of children and adolescents actively using generative AI tools.
According to a report published on Safer Internet Day, around 85 percent of Portuguese children and young people aged between 9 and 17 said they had used generative artificial intelligence at least once in the past month — a figure approximately 10 percentage points higher than the European average.
The study, conducted by NOVA University of Lisbon, analyzed responses from 2,111 children and adolescents, alongside in-depth interviews with 15 teenagers, focusing on patterns of use, perceptions, and lived experiences related to generative AI technologies.
Findings show that 48 percent of participants use AI tools to summarize or explain texts, while 47 percent rely on them to complete school assignments, highlighting the growing integration of AI into educational practices.
Notably, the research also found that one in four Portuguese youths uses generative AI for emotional or personal support, a rate significantly higher than the European average of 15 percent, raising questions about the evolving role of technology in young people’s emotional lives.
Despite the widespread adoption, researchers Cristina Ponte and Susana Batista, who coordinated the study, emphasized that young users are not uncritical. The report notes that many participants expressed concerns over manipulation, misinformation, deepfakes, and the risk of losing human control over technology.
The researchers also pointed to a persistent digital divide, stating that access to and frequency of AI use remain closely shaped by socioeconomic conditions, alongside individual and environmental factors.
The findings underline both the rapid normalization of artificial intelligence among younger generations in Portugal and the need for ethical guidance, digital literacy, and protective frameworks to ensure that technological advancement does not come at the expense of critical thinking or social well-being.(ILKHA)
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