One morning I saw a video of Drake and Jay Z singing a Nicki Minaj song in a concert with a full crowd. I wondered where the concert happened and so I searched, and I figured that the video was an artificial intelligence (A.I.) tool generated. So, it is fake.
You may also hear about college students submitting essay write-ups produced by certain A.I. tools to their professors, and many colleges and universities are concerned about this in the academic field.
The thing about artificial intelligence is it can be used for both good and bad purposes. Plus, the outputs produced by an A.I. tool can be really deceiving, which include photos, videos, audio, and articles.
So, as a parent, what do you do? How do you feel about it? What to tell your kids?
Artificial intelligence revolution
Artificial intelligence is everywhere on the Internet, and many parents do not know what to feel about it, particularly on how it can impact their kids’ education and the way they will be raised in this techy world where truth becomes a gem.
Many experts are also still exploring it and there are pros and cons that A.I. tools provide to families.
There are millions of parents who are already distressed about their child’s dependence on digital technology and the mental health consequences of social media, and now, there is also the threat of A.I. tools.
So, what to do and tell your kids?
For kids who do not know anything about A.I., try to explain it in very simple terms.
Something like: “Artificial intelligence is like our brain, but it is made of the computer.
Just like you when you are a baby, you have to learn, adapt, and perform different things to understand everything.
Artificial intelligence is just like that, you have to guide it to use it.”
You may also want to give examples of when artificial intelligence is used, such as digital assistants, video games, and self-driving cars.
Encourage questions
You need to have a comfortable space for your child to ask his or her curious questions. Encourage them to understand or learn about it by asking questions.
Don’t worry parents, if you do not know the answer you can explore an A.I. tool to know more about it.
By asking questions, your children can reduce any of the fears or confusion they may have about the technology.
Simple talk about pros and cons
It is also important for you to talk about artificial intelligence’s positive and negative sides, particularly on how the A.I. tools can impact them as a child, but, of course, in simple and understandable terms.
Set also reminders that real connections outside the Internet are still much more valuable compared to spending time on gadgets.