Navigating the future of sexuality education in the USA: applying technology mediation theory to AI-Facilitated Sexuality Education

Following the emergence of AI technology such as ChatGPT, young adults in the USA with limited access to school-based sexuality education are likely to utilise AI to acquire sexual knowledge. Through the application of Technology Mediation Theory, which highlights the interactions between technology and humans, we identified various potential outcomes of AI-Facilitated sexuality education. These outcomes were examined in terms of the degree to which they aligned with and/or diverged from the US National Standards of Sex Education (NSES). Beneficial outcomes included accessibility, emotionally neutral responses and impartial information, and accuracy. Conversely, detrimental outcomes include limited ability to monitor developmental appropriateness, lack of human empathy, lack of interactive learning techniques, and concerns about the accuracy of current information. To optimise the benefits, and to mitigate the potential drawbacks of ChatGPT as a form of AI-Facilitated Sexuality Education, we offer recommendations of use to AI designers, sexuality educators, parents, and users.