I have heard a lot about the AI rush and there is even a Scratch mod for AI if you can find it. But, we have to take into account the following questions:
1. What benefits would it bring?
2. What UI to use (e.g. Open WebUI )?
3. What models to use (e.g. Grok via API, Gemini via API, ChatGPT via API, Claude via API, Gemma3 via Ollama, Qwen3 via Ollama, Mistral via Ollama)?
4. Will we fine tune the model?
5. Will it have image generation?
6. How to stop people hacking or misusing the AI?
7. How much would it cost?
8. Would we put token limits or credit limits?
9. Who to beta test it with?
10. How to release it and when?
11. Will it be in Scratch or an extension?
12. Will the AI collect data? Who is it shared with?
And so much more…

Now who wants AI?

There was something going around of a tech talk with the Scratch Team about AI(I know there's a video, but it was a while since i was in a discussion with it), about some…. learning assistant? basically not generative but provides advice on what to do and how to improve on things.

I've made a project about AI and everything we know about it right now . I don't think we know what specific model/UI it uses, costs, or if Scratchers can test, as we haven't been publicly told that info.

AndThenWat wrote:

There was something going around of a tech talk with the Scratch Team about AI(I know there's a video, but it was a while since i was in a discussion with it), about some…. learning assistant? basically not generative but provides advice on what to do and how to improve on things.

That sounds like a good idea.
1. What benefits would it bring? - Possible answer: Give advice on things to improve and help with code.
2. What UI to use (e.g. Open WebUI)?
3. What models to use (e.g. Grok via API, Gemini via API, ChatGPT via API, Claude via API, Gemma3 via Ollama, Qwen3 via Ollama, Mistral via Ollama)?
4. Will we fine tune the model?
5. Will it have image generation? - Possible answer: No. Image generation can generate inappropriate outputs.
6. How to stop people hacking or misusing the AI?
7. How much would it cost?
8. Would we put token limits or credit limits?
9. Who to beta test it with?
10. How to release it and when?
11. Will it be in Scratch or an extension?
12. Will the AI collect data? Who is it shared with?

I can answer (most of) those questions for you, though they might be biased, so I'm trying as much as I can to stay neutral.

1. What benefits would it bring? — I don't know if you mean an extension/assistant or moderation AI, so I'll answer for both of them: at least to me, there are no benefits whatsoever. AI is hard to moderate and very, very costly for a free kids' website. Besides, though AI moderation does exist, it can be easily broken. Not to mention it always gives false positives or false negatives.
2. What UI to use (e.g. Open WebUI )? — Probably an original UI? idk to be honest. that'd be up for the ST to decide.
3. What models to use (e.g. Grok via API, Gemini via API, ChatGPT via API, Claude via API, Gemma3 via Ollama, Qwen3 via Ollama, Mistral via Ollama)? — again, that'd be up for them.
4. Will we fine tune the model? — probably not. once again, it'd be harder to moderate.
5. Will it have image generation? — fortunately, i think it wouldn't because once again, moderation.
6. How to stop people hacking or misusing the AI? — I don't know, but it'd be very hard since it can be easily broken to say/generate inappropriate stuff.
7. How much would it cost? — A lot, considering scratch is a free project.
8. Would we put token limits or credit limits? — probably, to reduce costs.
9. Who to beta test it with? — maybe a closed beta with the entire ST.
10. How to release it and when? — i don't know.
11. Will it be in Scratch or an extension? — i also don't know, but probably both.
12. Will the AI collect data? Who is it shared with? — probably, but only when a conversation would be flagged. if it did collect data from minors, then the MIT would be in trouble with COPPA.

Now who wants AI?

Definitely not me. i don't care what type, i think it's ruining critical thinking and simple human skills. also, think about how heartbreaking it would be to spend months on a single game, and you find out that another “game” made entirely with AI is raking in thousands of views while your own creation only has 20 or so.

i know this is biased (yes, i am anti-AI), but i just don't think it's good to let children exposed to AI, because the only thing it does is teach kids they don't need to do pretty much anything to make a project, and it's also against the first part of the scratch motto: imagine.

and it is not imagining when a computer program is doing it for you.

indigomoondev wrote:

I can answer (most of) those questions for you, though they might be biased, so I'm trying as much as I can to stay neutral.

1. What benefits would it bring? — I don't know if you mean an extension/assistant or moderation AI, so I'll answer for both of them: at least to me, there are no benefits whatsoever. AI is hard to moderate and very, very costly for a free kids' website. Besides, though AI moderation does exist, it can be easily broken. Not to mention it always gives false positives or false negatives.

…

i know this is biased (yes, i am anti-AI), but i just don't think it's good to let children exposed to AI, because the only thing it does is teach kids they don't need to do pretty much anything to make a project, and it's also against the first part of the scratch motto: imagine.

and it is not imagining when a computer program is doing it for you.

Based on your response, I think you might have some inaccurate info on what AI is being added to Scratch or have succumbed to misinformation others have spread about what AI is coming to Scratch. Moderation AI (in a way, I guess) already exists, but that is not what is being added. An assistant is being added. (If you'd like to see what's being planned, I suggest you visit the project I mentioned in a previous post).

Second of all, what's being added is the Creative Learning Assistant, which is designed to guide users while making projects - not do everything for them. They've emphasized that they do not want to eliminate creativity, rather this is designed to help enhance it by pushing users in the right direction. The CLA will not do everything for you .

No money for some things, but money for AI.