There are lots of breakthroughs in technology and one of the most significant, and most aggressive, of these creative innovations, is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Children are interacting with AI in more ways than ever before and almost every domain of daily life. Some even believe that infants might be crucial in the further development of AI.
Parenting in the era of Artificial Intelligence
AI systems are now a part of many children’s daily lives, from education to entertainment. However, as pervasive and important as these technologies are, they are not without drawbacks. As a result, parents must understand the role of AI in their children’s lives in order to capitalize on its benefits while mitigating its potential drawbacks.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Children’s Lives
Following the digital revolution, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken a prominent role in apparently everything, from healthcare to academia to business.
Healthcare
AI-based Machine Learning, for example, is transforming medical practice by enabling truly personalized care. AI-powered data analytics can process billions of health data points in seconds and generate evidence-based solutions that are specifically tailored to the patient’s needs. Pediatric healthcare providers are better equipped than ever before to arrange preventative care and treatment protocols based on your child’s particular health history thanks to the power of AI.
Education
AI technologies in education can support responsive, individualized learning by adapting in real-time to a child’s particular educational needs and aptitudes. Machine learning, for example, uses AI’s responsive capabilities to automatically adjust the difficulty levels of tasks based on repeated analysis of student responses.
As a result, not only is a child’s content mastery and academic needs more accurately assessed, but he or she also has a more personalized, and thus more engaging, learning experience.
AI systems can provide children with exceptional immersive learning experiences in addition to adaptive learning and testing. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are two of the most exciting new trends influencing education. They utilize Artificial Intelligence to create amazing realistic simulations that can be used to help children learn through virtual experiences.
For example, such simulations can be utilized to teach children about marine biology by putting them “face to face” with a blue whale in its underwater habitat. Similarly, by simulating a gladiatorial contest at the Roman Colosseum, they can offer students an unforgettable immersion into ancient history.
Business
Schools and clinics aren’t the only places where children interact with AI systems. These technologies are now widely used in business. AI is frequently used by businesses to streamline their operations. Chatbots are a popular tool that can be used to interact with both employees and customers.
That means that if your child spends any amount of time online, chances are they’ve interacted with an AI-powered chatbot at some point, specifically when shopping or gaming.
Managing Children’s AI Contact
There are possible dangers and risks for all of the favorable uses of AI in the modern child’s life. It is entirely possible, for instance, for children to become so engrossed in the digital realm that they struggle to form real-world relationships.
Children require the social bonds that only face-to-face interactions with other humans can provide. This is specifically true when it comes to parent or caregiver nurturing. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are threatening to take over this crucial role, with a growing number of parents and caregivers reporting that it would be convenient for an AI to offer nursing care for their sick child.
This has the potential to set a dangerous precedent for children who are still learning about the world and how it works. Children may struggle to distinguish between intelligent technologies and humans if they are not properly educated. Teaching children about AI, including how it works and how it can appear so “human,” can help them become more informed and discriminating technology consumers.
Modeling Effective Technology Use
In addition to teaching children about how AI technologies work, they should also be taught about how to use them.
Parents play an important role in assisting children in developing healthy boundaries and behaviors, particularly when it comes to the role of technology in their lives. After all, parents are a child’s first and best role model. As a result, they quickly learn that humans are more important and deserve more attention than machines when they see their parents restricting their screen time and placing their devices aside when someone enters the room.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence systems are an unavoidable part of almost everyone’s daily lives, including children. AI technologies have helped to improve areas that directly affect children, such as education and healthcare. These innovations, however, are not without drawbacks, particularly in terms of their impact on children’s social, mental, and emotional well-being.
As a result, parents must understand the risks and benefits of Artificial Intelligence in their children’s lives and take steps to decrease the former while increasing the latter.
