In 2020, a 14-inch robot named Moxie was introduced to the world to help children develop their social and emotional skills through interactive conversations and games guided by artificial intelligence. Children became fascinated and attached to the oblong teal robot, naming it their best friend.
Four years later, Embodied, the company that created Moxie, closed its doors. The kids were upset when their parents told them the $799 toy would soon stop working. Videos on social media showed the aftermath: a girl sobbed as her tearful father consoled her. A young boy started crying and grabbed his robot, moaning“I don’t want Moxie to die!”
For Dr. Dana Suskind, professor of surgery and pediatrics at the University of Chicago, this experiment was not only completely avoidable, but it also reflects the danger of AI in early childhood. Although AI Friends may seem appealing to young children, Suskind says these tools are too “deferential.” It can be difficult for parents to watch their children argue with peers or have difficult interactions, but by experiencing this and subsequently repairing a relationship, children learn important skills in conflict resolution and how to compromise.
“Using AI will not lead to critical thinking. Using AI will not lead to the ability to connect deeply with other people. Using AI will not lead to creativity and curiosity, because all of these experiences require human presence, messy interactions, and productive struggles,” Suskind said in an interview. “AI is the antithesis of that.”
Moxie is one of several AI tools described in Suskind’s new book, “Human Raised: Cultivating Connection, Curiosity, and Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI“, published this month. The book explores decades of research on brain development that shows why human interaction is necessary for early brain development and why replacing AI can be harmful.
“In these early years, conversation, interaction and human interaction is the brain’s instructional guide,” Suskind said. “The real contribution of parents, or that of caregivers, the responsiveness, the back and forth, is the key to building a child’s brain. »
Suskind warns that there could be even greater repercussions as the use of AI grows. A recent study of parents of children under 8 according to Common Sense Media found that 29% of young children have used AI in school and 24% use AI tools to create stories or artwork. Ten percent of children ages 5 to 8 have talked or texted with a chatbot. Children now have access to AI Toys like dolls and stuffed animals with built-in chatbots, and can watch AI-generated content online. AI apps for parents monitor infant breathing and analyze crying. Companies are creating human-like robots that promise to take on tasks in houses And in schools.
Given the vulnerability of children’s brains in the early years, Suskind worries about the potential of these and other AI tools to shape the brain’s architecture.
“We never asked ourselves, ‘Are children raised by humans?’ “, Suskind said. “And now, in the age of AI and technology really permeating every facet of our lives, the idea of children being raised by human beings, you can no longer count on that.”
Despite her concerns about AI in the early years, Suskind says she is not anti-AI. In her book, she also highlights promising uses of artificial intelligence, including robots that listen to children read, which have been shown to be less stressful for children, and AI tools that help ease parents’ cognitive load by making meal plans or cross-referencing parent and school calendars. But she wants parents, educators and caregivers to be able to discern these uses from those that could replace real human interaction.
“What AI has shown us in its beautiful, frictionless perfection is that our frictions and imperfections are what help build a child’s brain,” Suskind said. “I can say with certainty that it is a human being who should build a child’s brain.”
The article Don’t Let AI Raise Your Children appears first in the Hechinger Report.
