Project timeline and budget
Project duration: February 2025 – February 2027
Project budget: £1,160,000
Project funding body: UKRI Cross Research Council
Project summary
Animating Minds is a 2-year long project tackling the growing concerns surrounding children’s increasing screen time. By developing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, the project seeks to evaluate the age-appropriateness of digital media content for children. The findings will empower parents, educators and content creators with valuable insights.
The project was selected in the first round of UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) cross-research council responsive mode pilot scheme. Animating Minds exemplifies the scheme’s goal of fostering groundbreaking interdisciplinary research.
The project brings together a diverse team of researchers from:
- University of the Arts London (UAL)
- Queen Mary University of London
- Birkbeck, University of London
- Arts University Bournemouth
- University of Brescia.
Their combined expertise spans children's animation practice, media theory, developmental psychology, neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Such experience ensures a multifaceted approach to understanding and improving the digital media landscape for young audiences.
Project aims and approach
Animating Minds is led by Professor Tim Smith, Professor in Cognitive Data Science at UAL. The objective of the project is to create new methods and computational tools that will benefit industry, academia and families.
The approach will utilise developmental science techniques such as machine learning, eye-tracking, functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (a wearable method for imaging brain activity). The project will train a computational tool to understand how children aged 3-6 respond to animated media.
Research outputs
Animating Minds is the first largescale project to harness the innovative and neurocognitive facilities of the Nerve Lab. The findings will serve as a template for future academic and industry-led research and development projects.
Impact
Children have been increasingly learning, playing and socialising through digital media. Agencies such as UK Chief Medical Officers, American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organisation are tasked to study this usage. They advocate for 'high-quality' content and limits on children's screen time due to fears of negative impacts on neurocognitive development.
In response to this issue, Animating Minds is developing an AI tool to assess the developmental appropriateness of digital media. This innovative resource will aid media creators, ensuring their content aligns with the cognitive needs of their target audience. Additionally, the tool will empower parents to make more informed choices about what their children watch, fostering healthier digital experiences.
Project team
- Professor Tim Smith, Project Co-Lead
- Professor Mick Grierson, Project Co-Lead
- Dr. Claire Essex, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
- Aldrich Pan, Research Fellow
- Alisa Musatova, Research Assistant
Partners
- Queen Mary University of London
- Professor Rachael Bedford, Project Co-Lead
- Freya Woolford, visiting Research Assistant
- Alex Oakley, visiting Research Assistant
- Arts University Bournemouth
- Professor Paul Taberham, Project Co-Lead
- Birkbeck, University of London
- Dr. Paola Pinti, Project Co-Lead
- University of Brescia
- Associate Professor Sergio Benini, Research Collaborator
- Dr. Mattia Savardi, Research Collaborator
Advisory Board
- Kate O’Connor, Executive Chair of Animation UK
- Greg Childs, Editorial Director of Children’s Media foundation
- Oli Hyatt, Managing Director of Blue Zoo
- Kaska Porayska-Posta, Professor at UCL Institute of Education
- Melanie Pilcher, Policy and Standards Manager at Pre-school Learning Alliance
How to get involved
For further information, please contact: