{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7138251684","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i38.40479","title":"Easy for Children, Hard for AI: The Limits of Multimodal LLMs in Early Childhood Learning","display_name":"Easy for Children, Hard for AI: The Limits of Multimodal LLMs in Early Childhood Learning","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-14","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7138251684","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i38.40479"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1609/aaai.v40i38.40479","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i38.40479","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210191458","display_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","issn_l":"2159-5399","issn":["2159-5399","2374-3468"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320058","host_organization_name":"Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320058"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence"],"type":"conference"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"conference-paper","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"diamond","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i38.40479","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129726808","display_name":"Jingping Liu","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I157773358","display_name":"Sun Yat-sen University","ror":"https://ror.org/0064kty71","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I157773358"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jingping Liu","raw_affiliation_strings":["Sun Yat-sen University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Sun Yat-sen University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I157773358"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129745383","display_name":"Xueyan Wu","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I143593769","display_name":"East China University of Science and Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/01vyrm377","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I143593769"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xueyan Wu","raw_affiliation_strings":["East China University of Science and Technology"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"East China University of Science and Technology","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I143593769"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129657496","display_name":"Hanxuan Chen","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I16609230","display_name":"Hunan University","ror":"https://ror.org/05htk5m33","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I16609230"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Hanxuan Chen","raw_affiliation_strings":["Hunan University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Hunan University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I16609230"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5125095882","display_name":"Ziyan Liu","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I143593769","display_name":"East China University of Science and Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/01vyrm377","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I143593769"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ziyan Liu","raw_affiliation_strings":["East China University of Science and Technology"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"East China University of Science and Technology","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I143593769"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129745046","display_name":"Zhangquan Chen","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I99065089","display_name":"Tsinghua University","ror":"https://ror.org/03cve4549","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I99065089"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhangquan Chen","raw_affiliation_strings":["Tsinghua University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Tsinghua University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I99065089"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129685298","display_name":"Ronghao Chen","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I20231570","display_name":"Peking University","ror":"https://ror.org/02v51f717","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I20231570"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ronghao Chen","raw_affiliation_strings":["Peking University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Peking University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I20231570"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129714069","display_name":"Huacan Wang","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210165038","display_name":"University of Chinese Academy of Sciences","ror":"https://ror.org/05qbk4x57","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I19820366","https://openalex.org/I4210165038"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Huacan Wang","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Chinese Academy of Sciences"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Chinese Academy of Sciences","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210165038"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":6,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"40","issue":"38","first_page":"32078","last_page":"32086"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11714","display_name":"Multimodal Machine Learning Applications","score":0.5597000122070312,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11714","display_name":"Multimodal Machine Learning Applications","score":0.5597000122070312,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10656","display_name":"Child and Animal Learning Development","score":0.14959999918937683,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3204","display_name":"Developmental and Educational Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10730","display_name":"Language Development and Disorders","score":0.027799999341368675,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3204","display_name":"Developmental and Educational Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cognition","display_name":"Cognition","score":0.6133000254631042},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/early-childhood","display_name":"Early childhood","score":0.5831000208854675},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/perception","display_name":"Perception","score":0.5475000143051147},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/benchmark","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","score":0.5400999784469604},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/visual-perception","display_name":"Visual perception","score":0.42239999771118164},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/focus","display_name":"Focus (optics)","score":0.4011000096797943},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/diversity","display_name":"Diversity (politics)","score":0.35740000009536743},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/visual-reasoning","display_name":"Visual reasoning","score":0.3441999852657318}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C169900460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2200417","display_name":"Cognition","level":2,"score":0.6133000254631042},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777082460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3377398","display_name":"Early childhood","level":2,"score":0.5831000208854675},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26760741","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160402","display_name":"Perception","level":2,"score":0.5475000143051147},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C185798385","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1161707","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","level":2,"score":0.5400999784469604},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180747234","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23373","display_name":"Cognitive psychology","level":1,"score":0.4666000008583069},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.43479999899864197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.4260999858379364},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C178253425","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q162668","display_name":"Visual perception","level":3,"score":0.42239999771118164},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C192209626","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190909","display_name":"Focus (optics)","level":2,"score":0.4011000096797943},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.39890000224113464},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781316041","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1230584","display_name":"Diversity (politics)","level":2,"score":0.35740000009536743},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777508537","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7936620","display_name":"Visual reasoning","level":2,"score":0.3441999852657318},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26517878","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q228039","display_name":"Key (lock)","level":2,"score":0.32679998874664307},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C178229462","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1472221","display_name":"Early childhood education","level":2,"score":0.32350000739097595},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C165696696","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11287","display_name":"Exploit","level":2,"score":0.3154999911785126},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C140441792","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2910672","display_name":"Cognitive development","level":3,"score":0.3012000024318695},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.2847999930381775},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138496976","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175002","display_name":"Developmental psychology","level":1,"score":0.2822999954223633},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2164484","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5170150","display_name":"Core (optical fiber)","level":2,"score":0.271699994802475},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776401178","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12050496","display_name":"Feature (linguistics)","level":2,"score":0.26829999685287476},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780878386","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1659648","display_name":"Visual language","level":2,"score":0.2680000066757202},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779321571","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7936605","display_name":"Visual learning","level":2,"score":0.2669999897480011},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C134290984","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5141241","display_name":"Cognitive skill","level":3,"score":0.26600000262260437},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780660688","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25052564","display_name":"Multimodal learning","level":2,"score":0.2632000148296356},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C36464697","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q451553","display_name":"Visualization","level":2,"score":0.26109999418258667}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1609/aaai.v40i38.40479","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i38.40479","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210191458","display_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","issn_l":"2159-5399","issn":["2159-5399","2374-3468"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320058","host_organization_name":"Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320058"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence"],"type":"conference"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:ojs.aaai.org:article/40479","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AAAI/article/view/40479","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"2159-5399","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1609/aaai.v40i38.40479","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i38.40479","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210191458","display_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","issn_l":"2159-5399","issn":["2159-5399","2374-3468"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320058","host_organization_name":"Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320058"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence"],"type":"conference"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Early":[0],"childhood":[1,84],"is":[2],"a":[3,72,127],"critical":[4,169],"stage":[5],"for":[6,184],"cognitive":[7,59,85],"development,":[8],"involving":[9],"core":[10],"skills":[11],"such":[12],"as":[13],"visual":[14,98,100,105],"perception":[15,173],"and":[16,104,114,122,133,138,174,181],"reasoning.":[17,175],"While":[18],"multimodal":[19,73],"large":[20],"language":[21],"models":[22,78],"(MLLMs)":[23],"have":[24],"made":[25],"rapid":[26],"progress":[27],"in":[28,171],"various":[29],"general-purpose":[30],"tasks,":[31,94],"their":[32],"ability":[33],"to":[34,62,76],"support":[35],"early":[36,63,83],"education":[37],"remains":[38],"largely":[39,46],"underexplored.":[40],"Existing":[41],"research":[42],"on":[43,48,57,79,144],"child-related":[44],"AI":[45],"centers":[47],"modeling":[49],"language,":[50],"emotion,":[51],"or":[52],"behavior,":[53],"with":[54,151],"limited":[55],"focus":[56],"evaluating":[58],"tasks":[60,80],"relevant":[61],"learning.":[64],"To":[65],"address":[66],"this":[67],"gap,":[68],"we":[69],"propose":[70],"ChildBench,":[71],"benchmark":[74,108],"designed":[75],"assess":[77],"inspired":[81],"by":[82,163],"development.":[86,187],"It":[87],"covers":[88],"five":[89],"key":[90],"domains":[91],"through":[92],"ten":[93],"including":[95],"spatial":[96],"reasoning,":[97,99],"discrimination,":[101],"counting":[102],"skills,":[103],"tracking.":[106],"The":[107],"includes":[109],"4,890":[110],"carefully":[111],"constructed":[112],"images":[113],"5,346":[115],"manually":[116],"annotated":[117],"samples,":[118],"ensuring":[119],"both":[120],"diversity":[121],"age-appropriate":[123],"content.":[124],"We":[125,176],"evaluate":[126],"range":[128],"of":[129],"state-of-the-art":[130],"(SoTA)":[131],"open-source":[132],"closed-source":[134],"MLLMs\u2014including":[135],"GPT-4o,":[136],"Gemini,":[137],"Qwen2.5-VL\u2014on":[139],"ChildBench.":[140],"Despite":[141],"strong":[142],"performance":[143],"other":[145],"benchmarks,":[146],"the":[147,160],"best":[148],"7B-parameter":[149],"model":[150,186],"LoRA":[152],"tuning":[153],"achieves":[154],"only":[155],"52.01%":[156],"accuracy,":[157],"far":[158],"below":[159],"96%":[161],"achieved":[162],"5-year-old":[164],"children.":[165],"These":[166],"results":[167],"reveal":[168],"limitations":[170],"fine-grained":[172],"further":[177],"analyze":[178],"failure":[179],"cases":[180],"discuss":[182],"directions":[183],"future":[185]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-14T23:27:15.235271","created_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00"}