Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing rapidly, and parents are wondering how this will affect their children in the future.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
AI is a discipline or branch of computer science that focuses on developing systems capable of performing tasks that normally require human intelligence. This DOES NOT mean that it actually possesses it, but that it imitates it, or rather, that it can solve problems that, until now, could only be solved with human intelligence.
How does it do it? Mathematical equations and formulas are used to create a simplified representation of the relationship between the characteristics of an object of study. Then, a gigantic amount of data is used to test, modify and adjust those functions and formulas, and the values of the characteristics. When the optimal adjustment point is finally reached, the system becomes capable of calculating what the most likely answer to a given question or command would be.
“…AI doesn’t ‘think’ like a human, but processes data and generates a response based on probabilities.”
That simplified representation is what is called a “Mathematical Model”, the adjustments made are what is understood as “Training” the model, and the result calculated by the model is called “Prediction”. So when the trained Model receives a question, the prediction (answer) it generates is the set of words with the highest probability of being the correct ones according to its calculations. We could then say that AI doesn’t ‘think’ like a human, but processes data and generates a response based on probabilities.
With this, AI is not simply capable of searching for a pre-existing answer, but can actually generate (calculate) content. For example, when writing the command: “Explain to me what a solar eclipse is in a 3-stanza poem with assonant rhyme as if you were Martin Fierro”, the generated response was:
The sun, paisano, is the light of day,
that warms us and gives us joy,
but sometimes, the moon approaches it,
and in a dance, it covers it and darkens it.
An eclipse, they call it, that game,
when the moon, with its fiery shadow,
gets between the earth and the bright sun,
and the day goes out, in an instant.
And people watch, with awe and fear,
the sky that is covered, in the dark darkness,
a unique spectacle, that reminds us,
that the universe, is vast and always awaits us.
Source: Gemini 1.5 Flash model
Is AI changing the world?
The short answer is a resounding yes, and if we delve a little deeper, we would see that for a few years now, AI has been used in a huge number of fields and areas that we could consider part of everyday life. The list of examples would be almost endless, starting with virtual assistants on websites that answer frequently asked questions, applications capable of creating photorealistic images from a written description, transportation route planning, food supply chains for restaurants, hotel reservation management, piloting drones and even medical imaging diagnostic systems.
The speed at which this technology is advancing also means that the timeframes and ways in which tasks that were once exclusive to human work are being performed are accelerating, making its impact felt both in the business and industrial sphere as well as in the social interactions in our lives. Therefore, it becomes necessary to reflect on the challenges and benefits of artificial intelligence, and to adapt to these technological changes at the same speed.
Does AI affect my children?
Our children play, interact with other people, and learn new things every day. All of these activities can be affected by AI today. Modern video games use AI to create smarter enemies, characters that learn from your actions, and levels that adapt to your play style. Social media uses it to filter content, recommend friends, detect false information, and personalize the experience for each user. Entertainment platforms incorporate it into their video and/or music recommendation systems. There are also learning applications that adapt to the learning pace of each child, and can identify areas where they need more help and offer additional specific exercises.
“(AI) is both a fascinating and tremendous instrument”
As we can see, for better or for worse, AI is present in their daily lives, from video games and social media to education. As much as we would like to isolate them, this technology continues to expand and sooner or later, by one means or another, our children will be exposed to it, through a website or on their next cell phone. It’s a reality that our children will face without a doubt, and in our role as parents we must accompany them and teach them how to use this powerful tool safely and responsibly.
Pope Francis expresses it very clearly when he says that “it is both a fascinating and tremendous instrument” and that “the benefits or damages it brings will depend on its use”.
How to prepare?
Is it safe for my kids to use AI tools like ChatGPT? How can I protect them from inappropriate or dangerous content? What risks exist and how can I control their use? How can I teach my children to use AI responsibly? Is it ethical for my children to use AI to complete their schoolwork?
If any of these questions crossed your mind, then you’ll be happy to know that I’m preparing a FREE document that will address these questions and a few more.
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