Common Sense Media’s AI Initiative

When the kids were little, my wife and I managed their media consumption with the help of reviews from sites like Common Sense Media. (Or maybe a competitor. It was a long time ago… I emailed the webmaster to correct a detail they got wrong in a VeggieTales review.)

I’m impressed by the level of detail they put into their analysis of various chatbots and generative AI tools.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is predicted to be the largest disruptive change we will experience in our lifetimes—even more significant than the internet. And while AI has the potential to provide enormous benefit, without the widespread adoption of responsible AI practices, it is equally capable of causing harm.

These powerful technologies are not new, but the sudden explosion of AI in our lives has brought with it more questions than answers. What exactly is this technology? What can it do? What can’t it do? And, importantly, what shouldn’t it do? In this rapidly changing environment, Common Sense is committed to creating clarity, trust, and understanding through our AI initiatives—including AI product ratings & reviews, AI literacy curricula, original research, and more.

AI Product Reviews

At Common Sense, we know that successful AI is built with responsibility, ethics, and inclusion by design. This means that technical excellence alone is not enough for AI systems—AI is sociotechnical, which means that the technology cannot be separated from the humans and human-created processes that inform, shape, and develop its use.

That’s why our AI product reviews are contextual, taking into account the societal landscape in which the products will be used and actively seeking what information might be missing or invisible to an AI system. Our AI reviews act as “nutrition” labels for AI. They describe a product’s opportunities, considerations, and limitations in a clear and consistent way, putting the right information you need at your fingertips. —Common Sense Media