Does your child have an AI best friend? If they do now or in the future, how would you feel about it?
Even before this recent rise in AI, parents have been worried about kids only having friends online. These friends were real people but lived far away so their kids had never actually met them. These bonds can get incredibly strong. Kids share their fears with others they trust on a messaging app. Or gamers confide in the crew on their headset. Let’s be honest, few things bond young men like blowing away digital zombies together.
For the vast majority of us, this concern is unfounded. Kids play sports and music, and hang out with other kids in real life all the time, even if they spend more time on their phones than we would like.
Even if your child does have stronger connections to friends online that they have never met, these relationships are often harmless or even beneficial. Especially for kids who seek connection in a community that isn’t in their school or neighborhood. Or just want the privacy to explore new communities that the digital world provides.
But now, there is a new friend in town…
What is an AI best friend?
An AI friend can be supportive and fun. It can be a great listener or tell you a story. Really, it is whatever you want it to be. And more, if they get the algorithm right. Basically, it’s a chatbot that mimics you writing to a friend on Messenger or WhatsApp.
This article explores a new feature in SnapChat called MyAI which is an AI best friend. The mother in the article says her daughter mentioned My AI was her “best friend” and the mom was troubled by it.
It’s a fascinating new area of AI to be explored, studied, and talked about with your friends, family, and class. Is it an amazing way to share personal feelings without the fear of being judged? Is it a fun way to unwind where you’re getting everything you want in the conversation? Or is it a dangerous way to disconnect from the complications, and rewards, of a friendship with a real person? For most of us, it will be somewhere in the middle.
What’s most important is for all of us to understand the pros and cons of this new technology and consistently be looking at how it is impacting our lives and the lives of those we love and are responsible for.
Questions To Explore:
-How could AI best friend be a good thing? How could it be bad?
-Would you want an AI friend? Why or why not?
-What happens to the data you share with your AI friend?
-How could interacting with an AI best friend impact the way you interact with people in real life?
Kermode Education Can Help You Explore This Topic and More!
Contact the Kermode Education team today to see how our eLearning platform can help your kids or your students improve their digital literacy skills.
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