  As voice-based Conversational Assistants (CAs), including Alexa, Siri, Google
Home, have become commonly embedded in households, many children now routinely
interact with Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. It is important to research
children's experiences with consumer devices which use AI techniques because
these shape their understanding of AI and its capabilities. We conducted a
mixed-methods study (questionnaires and interviews) with primary-school
children aged 6-11 in Scotland to establish children's understanding of how
voice-based CAs work, how they perceive their cognitive abilities, agency and
other human-like qualities, their awareness and trust of privacy aspects when
using CAs and what they perceive as appropriate verbal interactions with CAs.
Most children overestimated the CAs' intelligence and were uncertain about the
systems' feelings or agency. They also lacked accurate understanding of data
privacy and security aspects, and believed it was wrong to be rude to
conversational assistants. Exploring children's current understanding of
AI-supported technology has educational implications; such findings will enable
educators to develop appropriate materials to address the pressing need for AI
literacy.
