Thursday, November 13, 2025

How parents and kids really feel about AI-generated images in children’s books

North Carolina State University

A new study finds that while some parents are opposed to the use of AI-generated images in children’s stories, most are willing to accept these images if the text is human-authored and the images have been reviewed by educators, librarians or other experts. However, depending on the nature of the stories, parents and children did raise concerns about errors in the illustrations that might encourage unsafe behavior or lack real-world accuracy.

“We know that generative AI tools are being used to create illustrations for children’s stories, but there has been very little work on how parents and children feel about these AI-generated images,” says Qiao Jin, first author of a paper on the work and an assistant professor of computer science at North Carolina State University. “We wanted to explore how and whether AI-generated images affected the experience of reading stories for parents and kids.”

For this study, researchers worked with 13 parent-child groups, with each group consisting of one child (aged 4-8) and at least one parent.

Each parent-child group read two out of three stories presented by researchers, adhering as closely as possible to their normal story-reading routine. All of the stories included AI-generated art, human art augmented using AI, and art made entirely by people.

After reading each story, children were asked to rate how much they liked the experience of reading the story, and the related images, using age-appropriate language. Parents were interviewed at greater length about the images, with the goal of capturing their preferences and concerns regarding images that accompany stories in general, and about these stories in particular.

“We found children were more sensitive than their parents to the emotional content of the illustrations and were more likely to notice any disconnect between the emotions being conveyed by the images and the emotions being conveyed by the text,” Jin says. “These disconnects stemmed from problems AI has with interpreting emotional cues from the stories.”

The concerns of parents and children often varied, depending on the nature of the stories they were reading.

“For example, parents and older children were more concerned about real-world accuracy if the stories were realistic or about science, rather than fables,” Jin says. “Older children noticed when AI images contained size or behavior errors, while parents were particularly concerned about errors that may encourage unsafe behavior.”

While most parents were open to the use of AI-generated images if the images were screened by people with expertise in children’s literature, some shared fundamental concerns with the idea of using AI to replace human artists or objected to the “artificial” look of AI-generated images. Most parents were not comfortable with the idea of AI being used to generate the text of stories.

The researchers also experimented with placing small labels under each image to note whether the image was AI-generated. Most parents and children neither noticed nor used the labels, and several reported that the labels were distracting while reading.

“Parents preferred a clear notification on the cover of the story making clear whether AI had been used to create a story’s images so they could make an informed decision about whether to purchase the book,” Jin says. “However, they were more concerned about whether the story was authored by a human.

“Our findings highlight the importance of three things,” Jin says. “First, parents want a simple cover label, not page-level flags, stating whether AI was used to illustrate the book, so they can decide whether to purchase it. Second, certain types of errors in AI-generated images can pose problems for parents and children, depending on the nature of the stories. And lastly, if a book uses AI to generate illustrations, it is important to bring in experts to screen the images to ensure they’re appropriate.”

The paper, “‘They all look mad with each other’: Understanding the Needs and Preferences of Children and Parents in AI-Generated Images for Stories,” is published in the International Journal of Child–Computer Interaction. Corresponding author of the paper is Irene Ye Yuan of McMaster University.

This work was done with support from the OpenAI Researcher Access Program.

Journal

International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction

DOI

10.1016/j.ijcci.2025.100787

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

‘They all look mad with each other’: Understanding the Needs and Preferences of Children and Parents in AI-Generated Images for Stories

Article Publication Date

12-Nov-2025

Stinky socks help replace human bait in surveys for blinding disease – new research

Sightsavers

IMG_2499 - The research team in Malawi check one of the traps — image:
The research team in Malawi check one of the traps. The plastic containers hold a yeast and sugar solution which produces carbon dioxide, mimicking human breath.
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Credit: Louise Hamill/ Sightsavers

New research shows that it’s possible to end the practice of using people as ‘human bait’ to catch and test the blackflies that spread river blindness (onchocerciasis). The study by international non-profit Sightsavers in partnership with the Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE) and ministries of health in Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Malawi and Mozambique, will be presented at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) on 13 November 2025.

Every year countries across Africa collect many thousands of blackflies to monitor for the presence of river blindness, a parasitic infection that causes severe and painful itching and, in the worst cases, irreversible blindness. Until now ‘human landing catch,’ where volunteers sit by rivers to lure and catch the flies on their skin, has been the only method recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for collecting blackflies so that they can be tested for the disease.

The research tested 16 different variations of insect traps (called Esperanza window traps) at blackfly breeding sites in Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Malawi and Mozambique. Traps used carbon dioxide to mimic human breath alongside colour variations, different orientations, worn socks (blackflies are drawn to the smell of sweat) and even a fake ‘stinky foot’ scent. Although the optimum trap design varied from location to location, the researchers found that seven pairs of traps, easy to set up and requiring minimal maintenance, were as effective as one fly catcher.

In Ghana and Malawi, where fly numbers were high, traps using yeast-generated CO₂ with worn socks performed equally as well as traps with synthetic CO₂ and scent. In Côte d’Ivoire and Mozambique, where overall fly numbers were lower, the traps with yeast-generated CO₂ and worn socks performed best.

“Using people as bait, even if they’ve willingly volunteered, raises big ethical questions,” says research co-lead Louise Hamill, Sightsavers Director for Onchocerciasis. “We clearly need a better solution, and with the help of some dirty socks, our team has found one.”

“Flycatchers sit for hours at a time with their skin exposed, braced to collect any blackfly that land on them. They are given precautionary treatment and try to catch the insects before they bite, but it's hard work and I know from experience how painful the bites can be. Sitting by water all day also puts them at risk of tsetse flies’ and mosquitoes’ bites which can lead to other diseases, as well as snake bites.”

“An additional benefit is that, when set up in high density, the traps reduce blackfly populations at breeding sites by catching the females looking for a bloodmeal before they’re able to lay their eggs. This has potential to offer communities long-term protection from river blindness.”

River blindness is caused by a parasitic worm (Onchocerca volvulus) which is spread by bites from infected blackflies. According to the WHO, at least 250 million people in 29 countries are at risk of contracting the disease. Adult worms, up to 30cm long, can live for 15 years inside their human host, producing millions of baby worms, called microfilariae. These migrate to the skin and eyes causing symptoms like severe and painful itching and chronic inflammation. If the microfilariae migrate to a person’s eyes, they cause lesions that lead to permanent sight loss.

The socioeconomic impact of onchocerciasis is profound. It can significantly impair infected people’s ability to work and perform daily activities, leading to loss of income. The stigma associated with the visible manifestations of the disease contributes to social exclusion, and early exposure to onchocerciasis in childhood has been associated with a particular type of epilepsy, known as onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy.

There is no vaccine or preventative medicine for river blindness, but the drug ivermectin kills the microfilariae and, when given out across entire communities, helps to break transmission. In January 2025 the WHO confirmed that Niger had become the first country in Africa to eliminate the disease.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Symposium 201: Optimizing Blackfly Trapping for Onchocerciasis Elimination will be presented at 11:30 on 13 November 2025, in Room 803 (Convention Centre) at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)
Images are available to go with this story.
To arrange interviews and access photos please contact
- jglyde@sightsavers.org or +44 1444 275146
- jmurraycox@sightsavers.org or +44 1444 275150

About Sightsavers

Sightsavers is an international organisation working with governments and partners in more than 30 low and middle income countries across Africa and Asia to:
- tackle avoidable blindness and vision impairment, including cataract and refractive errors such as short-sightedness
- treat and eliminate neglected tropical diseases, and
- create a more equal world where people with disabilities can access health care, education and employment without discrimination.
Sightsavers is a registered UK charity (Registered charity numbers 207544 and SC038110).

Find out more at www.sightsavers.org

About GLIDE

The Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE) is a global health institute based in Abu Dhabi that envisions a world free of eliminable infectious diseases by 2030 and beyond. GLIDE works across three strategic pillars: operational research, capacity strengthening, and advocacy to advance its mission with a current disease focus of malaria, polio, lymphatic filariasis, and river blindness. GLIDE seeks to promote integrated solutions to help partners go further and faster to achieve sustainable disease elimination. Find out more at www.glideae.org

A trap in Malawi is baited with an artificial chemical lure.

Fly trapper, Alick, sits by a river in Malawi with one leg bared, ready to catch the blackfly as they land, before they can bite him. He will take the drug, mectizan, to help prevent against infection.

Fly trapper, Felia, sits by a river in Malawi with one leg bared, ready to catch the blackfly as they land, before they can bite her. She will take the drug mectizan, to help prevent against infection.

A trap attendant carefully removes blackflies from a trap in Malawi before placing it in a tube to go to the laboratory for analysis.

A trap attendant carefully removes blackflies from a trap in Malawi before placing it in a tube to go to the laboratory for analysis.

Credit
Louise Hamill/ Sightsavers

Bacterial scents behind oak tree decline may be luring deadly beetles

New research uncovers how scent signals from diseased trees and bacteria attract oak-killing insects

Rothamsted Research

image:
Experimental set up showing how the volatile chemicals are collected from oak trees
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Credit: Rothamsted Research

The deadly decline of Britain’s native oak trees may be driven by an unexpected accomplice: their own smell.

Scientists have discovered that trees affected by Acute Oak Decline (AOD) emit distinct odours that are highly attractive to the beetle Agrilus biguttatus, a key contributor to the decline. The findings suggest that beetles use chemical cues in these odours — emitted by infected leaves and the bacteria involved in AOD — to locate ideal sites to lay their eggs.

The study, published this week in Current Biology, sheds new light on the complex interplay between trees, microbes and insects in one of the UK’s most concerning woodland health crises.

AOD is a fast-progressing condition affecting thousands of mature oaks across England and Wales. It is characterised by dark, weeping lesions on tree trunks and the presence of larval galleries from A. biguttatus, a jewel beetle whose larvae burrow through the tree’s inner bark, disrupting nutrient flow.

Researchers found that female beetles were strongly attracted to airborne chemicals produced by infected oak leaves and by two bacterium species central to AOD: Brenneria goodwinii and Gibbsiella quercinecans. The effect was even more pronounced when the scent of the bacteria was combined with scents from oak bark.

Crucially, scientists identified three specific chemical compounds within the odour emitted by the bacteria, two of which are entirely new to science. These natural products appear to serve as olfactory cues, helping the beetles zero in on stressed and susceptible trees, although they do not directly trigger egg-laying behaviour.

Dr Jozsef Vuts, who led the study, said: “What we’re seeing is a sophisticated chemical signalling system. The beetles are essentially using the scent of illness — from both the tree and the bacteria — as a beacon. It’s a remarkable example of how insects can exploit microbial activity to guide their behaviour.”

The team’s findings point to a possible feedback loop in which the beetles are drawn to declining trees already infected by AOD bacteria, facilitating further damage as their larvae open new pathways for infection and decay.

Understanding this chemical dialogue could open the door to novel management strategies. By developing beetle traps based on synthetic versions of these odour compounds, or sensors that can detect the compounds, foresters may be able to monitor or even slow the spread of AOD in vulnerable woodlands.

More than 120,000 trees are estimated to be affected by AOD in the UK, many in ancient or ecologically important forests. As climate change places further stress on native species, the need for innovative approaches to forest health has become increasingly urgent.

“This research provides a new piece of the puzzle,” Dr John Caulfield added. “If we can interfere with the beetle’s ability to detect infected trees, we might be able to tip the balance back in favour of the oaks.”