Children’s visual representations of artificial intelligence (AI): A drawing‑based study of Greek upper‑primary students

This study investigates how 299 Greek sixth graders (ages 11–12 years) visually represent artificial intelligence (AI) through draw-and-write methodology. Qualitative content analysis across five dimensions suggests students primarily depict AI as anthropomorphic robots (64%) or technological tools (28%). Attitudes ranged from positive (42%) to negative (16%), with ethical concerns. Most drawings (68%) lacked environmental context, and 81% showed no human interaction, indicating decontextualized conceptualization. Students attributed both superhuman capabilities and mundane tasks to AI. Findings suggest concrete yet multifaceted mental models merging functional, imaginative, and affective elements, providing insights for developing primary AI literacy programs addressing anthropomorphism, clarifying capabilities, incorporating ethics, and emphasizing real-world contexts.