Dr. Dana Suskind urges parents to use AI to support, not replace care

In short: Early learning expert Dr. Dana Suskind says parents should use A.I. to help with chores and planning, but not as a stand-in for the human connection young children need.

What's going on

Dr. Dana Suskind, a pediatric surgeon at the University of Chicago, recently shared advice about parenting with A.I. on The New York Times podcast Hard Fork. Her main point was simple, use A.I. to enhance caregiving, not replace it.

She warns against letting chatbots, “A.I. companions,” or A.I. driven kids content take over what child development researchers call “serve and return.” That is the basic back and forth between a child and an adult, like when a baby points or babbles and a caregiver responds with words, facial expressions, or touch. Suskind argues this kind of interaction is like a workout for the brain, and it helps build language skills and emotional security.

Suskind also points to a growing flood of A.I. generated videos aimed at toddlers and preschoolers on platforms like YouTube and YouTube Kids. She describes much of it as confusing and low quality, and she says it is often presented as educational when it is not. In her writing, she cites a report claiming that nearly 40% of videos recommended to children on YouTube are now produced by A.I.

What to watch

Suskind says parental controls are not enough on their own, because recommendation systems (the automated “next video” picker) can keep feeding kids more content. She calls for clearer labeling of A.I. made media and for platforms and lawmakers to limit how much A.I. generated content is pushed toward children. For families right now, her guidance is to use A.I. to free up adult time, like scheduling or looking up information, and to protect everyday moments like reading, play, and conversation.

Source: NYTimes