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- I attended an AI parenting workshop with about 30 other guests.Parents questioned whether AI is limiting or expanding opportunities for their children.The parents who work in tech said AI is giving them more opportunities to be closer to their kids.
Parents have one burning question: Does AI collapse the world of possibilities for their kids, or does it open up new ones?
I spent two hours in a room with around 30 adults to learn about what it means to raise children with the help of AI. The event took place during Pulse NYC AI Week and was hosted by Build First, an AI workshop company. Concern, confusion, and excitement were the main emotions circulating around the tiny Upper East Side school auditorium where the event was held.
I spoke to parents with children as young as 3 years old. Some said AI has unlocked a new way to spend time together as a family, others suggested it's going to rob their kids of building real-world skills, and a few were just there to find cofounders for their own startups. My mission was to simply see how parents are using the technology.
After unpacking the thrills and fears of AI parenting, here's where parents seem to stand on raising the first generation of AI-native kids.
Parents who work in tech are finding new ways to connect with their younger kids
Many of the parents I spoke to or heard from at the event worked in the tech industry. Tarun Sachdeva, startup founder and dad of 7-year-old twin girls, was one of the speakers at the event and shared how AI allows him and his kids to become "creative partners."
He said it has helped him connect with his kids in a way he never thought was possible. He now spends his weekends vibe coding with his girls on Cursor. They've created a puppy run game, KPop Demon Hunters-themed puzzles, and math worksheet games, all utilizing AI.
AI can lead to a more acceptable use of screen time
Screen time was a significant concern for parents during the Q&A portion, but when I spoke with Sachdeva after the event, I asked him if he ever has concerns about his kids' screen time, particularly when using AI. His answer surprised me; he has none.
Sachdeva believes that AI has taken some of the negative aspects of screen time away from kids.
"AI allows us to turn most of our interactions with the screen into creative interactions rather than purely consumption," he said. "I actually think that screen time is something that is really misrepresented."
Agnes Applegate/BI
John Tidd, a dad of three young kids, said his kids' favorite AI tool is the recently launched Gemini storybook feature, which allows them to create personalized, illustrated storybooks together.
He said that using AI to create custom storybooks with his 4 and 6-year-old boys allows them to tap into their curiosity and creativity together. Instead of separating them, "computer lady," as his boys call AI, "just adds a voice to the conversation instead of replacing one."
Parents still wonder when is the right time to allow kids to use AI
During the 45-minute breakout sessions, we were divided into three groups of around eight people, and parents discussed the potential shortcuts that AI offers their children. One audience member raised the point that she felt letting her child use AI too much or too early would kill their creativity at the most creative time in their life.
She said she uses AI for almost everything, and even looks up answers to her daughter's questions on ChatGPT, but wasn't ready for her child to know that the shortcut exists.
For the most part, the conversation centered on children interacting with AI chatbots versus other AI tools or systems.
Meta recently came under fire for its rules regarding youth safety, as users 13 and older have access to its AI chatbot through its platforms. Google's Gemini requires users to be at least 18 years old to create an account and access the platform. OpenAI's ChatGPT states in its terms of service that it allows users aged 13 and older to use the platform. However, the company has recently introduced parental controls that allow parents to link their teens' accounts to their own.
There is room for more conversations about parenting and AI
Paola Delgado, a former Biotech startup COO and mom of a 3-year-old daughter, worries that if she doesn't get both her and her child on the AI train, they will get left behind.
Delgado came to the event because there were no discussions happening in her mommy groups about AI parenting, and that worried her. Even though her daughter is only three, she wants to know more about how to teach her to interact with AI.
Her biggest concern was letting a huge LLM model interact with her child before she develops a sense of right and wrong, and an instinct for what makes her uncomfortable or what needs a second look.
Do you have a story to share about using AI? Contact this reporter, Agnes Applegate, at aapplegate@businessinsider.com.
