In the Age of AI, Is Programming Still a Good Activity for Children?

a workshop led by Ken Kahn and Brian Silverman

When:	October 17, 2026 10:00 AM to noon Eastern Time
Where	everywhere via Zoom

In a 1993 article, Seymour Papert addressed the question: “Is Programming a Good Activity for Children?” The alleged benefits of programming have been widely extolled: Improving problem solving skills, developing logical thinking, providing a means for creative project development, as a vehicle for exploring mathematics, language, art, and other domains, offering a window into the programmer’s mind, and getting a good job.

AI entered the world of programming when chatbots became able to generate executable code. But our role in creating apps with AI is changing. A year or two ago, leading the chatbot was necessary. AI was your assistant.  Then, collaboration became feasible where both parties contributed ideas. Now we can provide a short, simple prompt and let the AI take the lead. This is great for effortlessly turning ideas into working programs, but it offers fewer learning opportunities.

After we explore a few examples of this, we'll discuss what we should do.

We'll also consider the dangers of letting AI agents lead, both individually and for civilization.

This Zoom workshop will be recorded. As a registered participant you will have access to the recording following the workshop. If you cannot attend the workshop live, you may still want to register, which will allow you to view the recording.

About the workshop leaders

• Ken Kahn has been interested in AI, programming languages, and education for 50 years. His 1977 paper “Three Interactions between AI and Education” may be among the first publications on the topic. He received his doctorate from the MIT AI Lab in 1979 where he worked with Seymour Papert, Marvin Minsky, and Cynthia Solomon. His doctoral thesis Creation of Computer Animation from Story Descriptions foresaw generative AI. He designed and implemented ToonTalk, a programming language for children that looks and feels like a video game. He has developed a large collection of AI programming resources in Snap! He recently retired from the University of Oxford as a Senior Researcher. He recently published The Learner’s Apprentice: AI and the Amplification of Human Creativity, a book about how students can use chatbots to create apps, adventures, illustrated stories, and more.

• Brian Silverman has been involved in the invention of learning environments for children since the late 1970s. His work includes dozens of LOGO versions, LogoWriter and MicroWorlds among them, Scratch, LEGO® robotics, TurtleArt, the PicoCricket, and the Phantom Fish Tank. Brian has been a Visiting Scientist at the MIT Media Lab, enjoys recreational math, and is a computer scientist and master tinkerer. He once even built a tic-tac-toe playing computer out of TinkerToys.