Digital Individuation and generative artificial intelligence in Basic Education: ethical, pedagogical, and technological mediations in the formation of child identity

Abstract

This article aims to analyze how digital education and the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) in Basic Education can influence processes of digital literacy, individuation, and the formation of child identity, considering ethical, pedagogical, and technological mediations in the school context. The study is based on qualitative empirical research conducted in seven municipal schools in Pires do Rio (GO), within the scope of the PPG-EnEB/IF Goiano, involving 26 teachers from the early years of Elementary Education. The investigation examines how teachers understand and use digital technologies and emerging GAI tools in their pedagogical practices, through content analysis of responses collected via questionnaires. The theoretical framework articulates contributions from Jung, Piaget, Prensky, Kenski, and Papert with contemporary debates on ethics, governance, and the pedagogical use of artificial intelligence, especially drawing on UNESCO guidelines. The results reveal an ambivalent perception among teachers regarding GAI, characterized by recognition of its pedagogical potential alongside concerns about mediation, authorship, and ethical risks. It is concluded that the critical integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence can foster processes of child digital individuation, provided it is guided by pedagogical intentionality, critical teacher training, and principles of ethical-technological literacy.