In Latvia, a Turing test was organised as part of the celebrations for Safer Internet Day 2026. Both teachers and students failed to distinguish AI from a human.
On 10 February 2026, Safer Internet Day was marked in more than 160 countries worldwide. The main event in Latvia was the educational conference “Dialogue with AI,” organised by the Latvian Safer Internet Centre Drossinternets.lv. As part of the conference, a Turing Test* was conducted in Latvia for the first time, to determine whether participants could distinguish answers generated by artificial intelligence (AI) from those prepared by humans.
On Safer Internet Day and throughout February, educational events and activities took place in Latvia, across Europe and around the world, aimed at educating children, young people and adults about online safety. This international initiative is dedicated to the responsible, smart and safe use of technology, with a particular emphasis on the online safety of children and young people. In Latvia, Safer Internet Day is organised by the Latvian Safer Internet Centre (SIC), which also celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
"The anniversary year gave us an opportunity to look back at what has been achieved. Nineteen years ago, on Safer Internet Day 2007, the main topics were personal data theft, risks in online games, the need for content filters, and emotional abuse on the internet. In 2017, the focus was on young people’s habits on social media. In 2021, key issues included safe online communication, fake news, recognising disinformation and terminology. Today, one of the greatest challenges is the rapid emergence of AI, which is why this year’s conference theme was ‘Dialogue with AI’",
explains Maija Katkovska, the coordinator of SIC Latvia.
The Turing test
* The Turing Test was created in 1949 by computer science pioneer Alan Turing to determine whether a computer could be as intelligent as a human. More than 70 years later, society continues to grapple with the same question, particularly within the field of education. Preserving the original concept of the Turing Test, 220 conference participants - teachers and students - attempted to determine which answers were given by the invited personalities and which were generated by AI.
The Turing test consisted of four rounds. In each round, questions were answered by AI programs and well-known figures in Latvia: the Minister of Education and Science; an actor, journalist and TV personality; and brothers from a popular tv cooking show.
For the teachers and students who participated in the Turing test, recognising human answers versus AI-generated ones was by no means easy, as the questions were related to values, feelings, desires and experience. For example: "What would you never believe in life? What is the most beautiful song in the world? Which came first - the chicken or the egg?”
In the Turing test conducted in Latvia on 10 February 2026, participants failed to stay below the 30 per cent threshold set by Alan Turing; therefore, artificial intelligence was declared the winner of the test. Alan Turing believed that if more than 30 per cent of participants are mistaken and unable to distinguish human responses from AI-generated ones, then AI is a winner. On Safer Internet Day in Latvia, 40.8 per cent of participants were unable to distinguish human answers from AI-generated responses.
The Turing test reflects the essential questions of our time - technological development, the role and uniqueness of humans in the world, responsibility, and rapid change. The test is not a scientific measurement of real-life conditions; rather, it should be viewed as a game that encourages each of us to reflect on our own AI literacy, strengthen critical thinking, and cultivate what is unique within ourselves - something that cannot be copied or artificially generated.
“Of course, we would all prefer the opposite result, which would reassure us that we are in control, but reality shows that the rapid development of technology requires us to change as well.”
“Until the end of the fourth round, I was convinced that the human participant would win, but I had forgotten that AI can be assigned a specific role and even an age. Many participants, including myself, were ‘caught out’ by being unable to distinguish children’s answers from those generated by AI. Those who work with AI on a daily basis performed better, as they can critically evaluate responses based on text structure and certain small signs - emojis and punctuation. Humans tend to leave sentences unfinished, whereas AI structures are usually fully completed,” notes a teacher from Ropaži Secondary School.
A 17-years-old student from the Riga Art and Media Technical School said this was their first time participating in such a test, admitting it was not easy and that they made mistakes in two rounds. “It is interesting to see how differently people from various professions think. The contrast between adult and children’s answers was even greater,” explains the student.
To ensure that people can distinguish AI in the future, more intensive work is needed, especially with older generations who lack experience working with AI. The student emphasised:
“I believe schools should have a subject dedicated to artificial intelligence - either as a separate class or integrated into computer science. The more knowledge people have about it, the easier it will be to recognise.”
Other SID activities
Among other activities that were developed and offered to schools to celebrate SID on 10 February and throughout the month were:
- Age-appropriate lesson plans for grades 1–12. The lesson plans were designed for a 40-minute lesson and included methodological guidance, worksheets, presentations, and links to useful resources.
- Doodling activity for the class. Students were tasked to read or listen to a story about online safety and doodle at the same time. 9,634 students participated in this activity, and the best doodling masterpieces will be included in a new educational resource.
- Activity "Student educates a student". The SIC developed presentations for primary school (grades 1-4) and elementary school (grades 5-7) children about online scams and cyberbulling. Pupils from older classes were invited to provide lectures and organise workshops for their younger schoolmates.
Find out more about Safer Internet Day in Latvia. Alternatively, find more information about the work of the Latvian Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline, and youth participation services, or find similar information for other Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.
In Latvia, a Turing test was organised as part of the celebrations for Safer Internet Day 2026. Both teachers and students failed to distinguish AI from a human.
On 10 February 2026, Safer Internet Day was marked in more than 160 countries worldwide. The main event in Latvia was the educational conference “Dialogue with AI,” organised by the Latvian Safer Internet Centre Drossinternets.lv. As part of the conference, a Turing Test* was conducted in Latvia for the first time, to determine whether participants could distinguish answers generated by artificial intelligence (AI) from those prepared by humans.
On Safer Internet Day and throughout February, educational events and activities took place in Latvia, across Europe and around the world, aimed at educating children, young people and adults about online safety. This international initiative is dedicated to the responsible, smart and safe use of technology, with a particular emphasis on the online safety of children and young people. In Latvia, Safer Internet Day is organised by the Latvian Safer Internet Centre (SIC), which also celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
"The anniversary year gave us an opportunity to look back at what has been achieved. Nineteen years ago, on Safer Internet Day 2007, the main topics were personal data theft, risks in online games, the need for content filters, and emotional abuse on the internet. In 2017, the focus was on young people’s habits on social media. In 2021, key issues included safe online communication, fake news, recognising disinformation and terminology. Today, one of the greatest challenges is the rapid emergence of AI, which is why this year’s conference theme was ‘Dialogue with AI’",
explains Maija Katkovska, the coordinator of SIC Latvia.
The Turing test
* The Turing Test was created in 1949 by computer science pioneer Alan Turing to determine whether a computer could be as intelligent as a human. More than 70 years later, society continues to grapple with the same question, particularly within the field of education. Preserving the original concept of the Turing Test, 220 conference participants - teachers and students - attempted to determine which answers were given by the invited personalities and which were generated by AI.
The Turing test consisted of four rounds. In each round, questions were answered by AI programs and well-known figures in Latvia: the Minister of Education and Science; an actor, journalist and TV personality; and brothers from a popular tv cooking show.
For the teachers and students who participated in the Turing test, recognising human answers versus AI-generated ones was by no means easy, as the questions were related to values, feelings, desires and experience. For example: "What would you never believe in life? What is the most beautiful song in the world? Which came first - the chicken or the egg?”
In the Turing test conducted in Latvia on 10 February 2026, participants failed to stay below the 30 per cent threshold set by Alan Turing; therefore, artificial intelligence was declared the winner of the test. Alan Turing believed that if more than 30 per cent of participants are mistaken and unable to distinguish human responses from AI-generated ones, then AI is a winner. On Safer Internet Day in Latvia, 40.8 per cent of participants were unable to distinguish human answers from AI-generated responses.
The Turing test reflects the essential questions of our time - technological development, the role and uniqueness of humans in the world, responsibility, and rapid change. The test is not a scientific measurement of real-life conditions; rather, it should be viewed as a game that encourages each of us to reflect on our own AI literacy, strengthen critical thinking, and cultivate what is unique within ourselves - something that cannot be copied or artificially generated.
“Of course, we would all prefer the opposite result, which would reassure us that we are in control, but reality shows that the rapid development of technology requires us to change as well.”
“Until the end of the fourth round, I was convinced that the human participant would win, but I had forgotten that AI can be assigned a specific role and even an age. Many participants, including myself, were ‘caught out’ by being unable to distinguish children’s answers from those generated by AI. Those who work with AI on a daily basis performed better, as they can critically evaluate responses based on text structure and certain small signs - emojis and punctuation. Humans tend to leave sentences unfinished, whereas AI structures are usually fully completed,” notes a teacher from Ropaži Secondary School.
A 17-years-old student from the Riga Art and Media Technical School said this was their first time participating in such a test, admitting it was not easy and that they made mistakes in two rounds. “It is interesting to see how differently people from various professions think. The contrast between adult and children’s answers was even greater,” explains the student.
To ensure that people can distinguish AI in the future, more intensive work is needed, especially with older generations who lack experience working with AI. The student emphasised:
“I believe schools should have a subject dedicated to artificial intelligence - either as a separate class or integrated into computer science. The more knowledge people have about it, the easier it will be to recognise.”
Other SID activities
Among other activities that were developed and offered to schools to celebrate SID on 10 February and throughout the month were:
- Age-appropriate lesson plans for grades 1–12. The lesson plans were designed for a 40-minute lesson and included methodological guidance, worksheets, presentations, and links to useful resources.
- Doodling activity for the class. Students were tasked to read or listen to a story about online safety and doodle at the same time. 9,634 students participated in this activity, and the best doodling masterpieces will be included in a new educational resource.
- Activity "Student educates a student". The SIC developed presentations for primary school (grades 1-4) and elementary school (grades 5-7) children about online scams and cyberbulling. Pupils from older classes were invited to provide lectures and organise workshops for their younger schoolmates.
Find out more about Safer Internet Day in Latvia. Alternatively, find more information about the work of the Latvian Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline, and youth participation services, or find similar information for other Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.
- artificial intelligence (AI) SID Safer Internet Day (SID)
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