The developmental scientist exploring how children learn from robots
Kristyn Sommer aims to improve individualised learning with the help of social robots
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Kristyn Sommer researches how young children learn from and engage with social robots. She sees a future in which robots are social companions that support individualised learning and self-compassion. Annie Brookman-Byrne finds out more.
Annie Brookman-Byrne: Why is it important to understand how children learn with robots?
Kristyn Sommer: We are racing towards a future filled with AI, social robots, and a plethora of other digital technologies. We can’t rebel against or ignore this shift—instead, we need to start by understanding how children interact with these social robots so we can inform their design to fit naturally into our existing social ecosystem. I focus specifically on learning because I believe education is one of the foundational areas where social robots can make a meaningful difference. When thoughtfully implemented, social robots in education can support teachers and enable truly individualised learning experiences for each child.
“Social robots in education can support teachers and enable truly individualised learning experiences for each child.”
ABB: What drew you to research robots and education?
KS: The field found me, sort of… As I reached the end of my undergraduate studies and pondered pursuing a PhD, I wanted to explore how technology like iPads could enhance infant numeracy learning. This was a niche curiosity, but PhD project proposals must be very specific. It happened that my proposed PhD supervisor in psychology began a collaboration with a professor of engineering who subsequently became my PhD co-supervisor. That person had a colleague working with social robots in US childcare settings, and together they had dreamt up an Australian wing of the project. They needed multidisciplinary researchers, including someone like me with a developmental psychology background. I immediately fell in love with the concept and even more with the robot – RUBI was her name. I now spend my days exploring ways to support and improve early childhood learning with social robots.
ABB: How do you hope your research will ultimately help children?
KS: My work, while only foundational right now, will build towards a future in which social robots serve as supportive companions for individualised learning in childhood. I hope to learn more about how children relate to and engage with these robots, how these relationships differ from one child to another, and how children’s bonds with robots affect their learning journey. My ultimate goal is to see children paired with social robot companions who can keep them from falling through the cracks, while highlighting their educational strengths and needs.
“My ultimate goal is to see children paired with social robot companions who can keep them from falling through the cracks.”
ABB: How has working in this field changed you?
KS: Exploring children’s relationships with social robots has forced me to systematically examine how children learn from social peers, who until now have been exclusively human. Because robots are not human, I have had to discard assumptions about how children learn and their relationships with their teachers and start from a blank slate. My research has given me an entirely new perspective on human social interaction and a deep respect for the complexity of human-to-human learning exchanges.
ABB: What are you excited about pursuing next?
KS: I have a project bubbling away in the background that has the potential to benefit children in real time. I am hoping to launch a mindful self-compassion project for primary school-aged children. A robot-and-human duo will teach children to love and accept themselves, and to show themselves compassion even in some of their most difficult moments.
Footnotes
Kristyn Sommer is a research fellow at Griffith University’s School of Applied Psychology, in Australia. Combining developmental psychology with robotics, her multidisciplinary work explores how children learn from social robots. Beyond the lab, Kristyn is a passionate science communicator who engages audiences across social media platforms, sharing evidence-based insights about child development, her experiences as an autistic parent, and navigating the balance between family life and academic research. Kristyn is a 2024-2026 Jacobs Foundation Research Fellow.
Kristyn’s website, and Kristyn on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok
This interview has been edited for clarity.
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