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Hi Ammis and friends!

I hope y’all had a nourishing summer!

It feels good (and long overdue) to be back in the 🍃 Premium Patch 🍃. In the next few weeks, I’ll be playing catch-up because I have a lot of great AI resources and insights to share with you all.

Let’s start with something I’ve been itching to share with y’all ASAP!

You know that AI will be increasingly prevalent in our children’s lives, and judging by the responses to our Premium Patch sign-up survey, you aim to understand its impact and learn how to navigate parenting in this AI Age.

I’ve compiled answers to your top 10 questions about AI and parenting based on expert insights from a recent NBC special called Digital Parenting: Raising the AI Generation.

You can watch the entire 1-hour special here or read my summary below with all the information you need 🙂 

About the Special

The NBC News Town Hall, hosted by Kate Snow and Savannah Sellers, brought together a panel of experts to discuss AI's challenges and opportunities for parenting.

The event featured insights from technology experts, researchers, child safety advocates, and law enforcement professionals. Their collective expertise provides us with valuable guidance on how to approach AI in our children's lives.

Now, let's dive into your top 10 questions about AI, answered by these experts:

1. How concerned should I be about AI's impact on my kids?

Julia Boorstin, CNBC Correspondent, reports: According to a CNBC survey, 75% of parents are somewhat or extremely concerned about AI's impact on their children. The rapid pace of AI development is a major factor in this concern.

AI offers both risks and opportunities.

Julie Scelfo, founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction, says parents should realize that an addiction to media and social media and AI is creating a chaotic, unhealthy information environment for their kids.

Some new apps assist parents in managing household tasks, while others help understand paid leave eligibility. Despite the potential benefits, parents are divided on whether AI is more of a risk or a benefit, with 51% seeing more risks than benefits.

2. What types of AI are my children likely interacting with?

Sinead Bovell, Futurist and Tech Entrepreneur, explains: Children are interacting with various AI systems, including:

• Generative AI (which can create new content)

• Recommendation algorithms (on platforms like YouTube or TikTok)

• Natural language processing tools (like Alexa and Siri)

Bovell notes that generative AI has gained popularity due to its user-friendly nature, making it easily accessible to children. For example, you can interact with ChatGPT by speaking to it in plain English.

3. What are the developmental concerns with children growing up with AI?

Dr. Jenny Radesky, Media Researcher and Pediatrician at the University of Michigan Medical School, highlights two main concerns:

1. AI-driven recommendation algorithms can influence children's choices, potentially leading them to unsuitable content.

2. Children might anthropomorphize AI systems (attribute human characteristics to AI), potentially leading to emotional attachment and unwarranted trust in these tools.

She notes, “Kids have very different ways that they conceptualize these artificial agents,” sharing an example of her son who thought Siri was “a nice woman who lives in California who answers our questions.”

4. How are schools addressing AI in education?

Merve Lapus, VP of Outreach at Common Sense Media, emphasized that schools are focusing on digital literacy, ensuring that educators are well-informed about different types of AI and can teach students how to interact with technology responsibly. He also pointed out the need for updated policies to address the new realities brought by AI, including privacy concerns and the responsible use of technology in educational environments.

5. How should I talk to my kids about AI?

Sinead Bovell advises: “I actually don’t think there’s an age that’s too young to start this conversation because AI is really all around them.” She advises, “First and foremost, kids need to know that AI isn’t your friend, it’s a tool. These systems are going to seem more and more human-like the more advanced and sophisticated they get, but a tool is very different than a human person.”

She also suggests, “AI can be a great partner. It can help us understand the world, but we don’t divulge secrets to an AI system. And there’s also things we do in our life that don’t involve AI that it’s not appropriate to bring this tool into.” She encourages parents to start by asking their kids, “If you’re watching something on a streaming platform, ask, ‘Why do you think it made that decision?’”

An audience member asks how kids today will be taught to differentiate between what’s real and what isn’t. Dr. Radesky responds, “I really think starting at a young age, it’s important to be talking to kids about what you’re seeing on the screen. Who made that? Why did they make it? They make it to make us laugh, to tell us a good story, or to be rude to someone else, right? That’s part of media literacy.”

Bovell adds, “This is the worst artificial intelligence will ever be. So right now, we can all beat it—there may be seven fingers, or maybe it has multi-colored eyes or something—but going forward, we can’t count on the human brain to beat a supercomputer.” She emphasizes teaching kids at a young age to be ethical AI users themselves, saying, “When they use AI to write a story, they should sign their name but also co-created by AI.”

6. What are the mental health implications of AI and social media for children?

Dr. Jenny Radesky warns that these algorithms are often optimized for engagement rather than children's well-being, which can expose children to inappropriate or harmful content, contributing to issues like anxiety and depression.

She also pointed out that AI systems can profile children based on their data, such as search terms or clicks, revealing vulnerabilities like low self-esteem or impulsive behavior. Dr. Radesky emphasized that these vulnerabilities can be exploited by AI, potentially leading to worse outcomes for children who are already struggling with mental health issues.

She stressed the importance of ensuring that AI systems are designed with children's well-being in mind and that parents and educators remain vigilant about how these technologies might affect children's development and mental health vulnerabilities, such as body image issues or impulsive behaviors.

7. How can I protect my child from AI-related risks like deepfakes and AI-driven bullying?

NBC’s Valerie Castro reports on a disturbing trend where teens are finding their real photos altered in offensive ways. A 15-year-old girl from Illinois was targeted by classmates who used AI to create fake nude images of her. “I can’t look at the photo anymore,” the girl says, reflecting on how the incident has affected her. The report highlights how AI-generated deepfakes are used for bullying, often with severe emotional consequences for the victims.

Adam Dodge, a Digital Safety Expert, recommends that you let your children know that you’re aware of this technology. Educate your children about the ethical use of AI. Have ongoing conversations about the potential harms of AI-generated content, such as deep fakes, and reinforce the importance of privacy and consent.

Dr. Jenn Hartstein, a family psychologist specializing in adolescents, emphasized the importance of approaching sensitive online issues with curiosity rather than judgment. She advised parents to start conversations with open-ended questions and to focus on listening more than talking. This approach helps build trust and creates a safe space for teens to share their experiences without fear of judgment or punishment.

Dodge also discussed the troubling rise of apps that can digitally remove clothing from photos to create hyper-realistic nude images, often used for malicious purposes. He emphasized that these apps are easily accessible and marketed on social media platforms, normalizing their use among teens. Dodge pointed out that while the images created by these apps are synthetic and not real, the harm they cause is very real, as they violate privacy and consent. He stressed the importance of parents and educators having conversations with teens about the ethical implications and the severe consequences of using such technology to harm others.

Dr. Hartstein also highlighted the need for parents to remain calm and supportive, mainly if their child is a victim of harmful online behavior like deepfakes, and to consider seeking professional help if the situation is traumatic.

Additionally, Dr. Hartstein addressed how parents should respond if their child is involved in creating or sharing harmful content. She stressed the importance of understanding the underlying psychological reasons for such behavior and recommended getting professional help to address any deeper issues.

8. What should I know about online predators and AI?

Abbigail Beccacio, the Unit Chief of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit, provided a detailed overview of the evolving threats that children face online, particularly related to sextortion. She explained that the landscape has shifted dramatically over the past decade, with offenders now able to reach and victimize hundreds of children simultaneously, a significant increase from years past.

Beccacio distinguished between traditional sextortion, where offenders typically target young females and seek to obtain more explicit content over time, and financially motivated sextortion, a newer trend that has emerged since 2021. In financially motivated sextortion, the process is much faster—offenders obtain explicit images and immediately threaten to ruin the victim’s life unless they are paid. This type of sextortion can occur within minutes, often while parents are unaware, making it particularly dangerous.

Beccacio also highlighted the severe emotional toll these crimes can take on victims, noting an alarming increase in suicide rates among male victims. The FBI’s approach to these cases includes not only investigating and prosecuting offenders but also providing significant victim support services to help families cope with the trauma. She emphasized that the FBI does not prosecute victims who have been coerced or tricked into producing explicit content, underscoring the importance of support over punishment.

9. What should I do if my child becomes a victim of online exploitation?

The "Take It Down" tool, provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, helps remove inappropriate images of minors from the internet by assigning a digital fingerprint to the image. This fingerprint is sent to partnered social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and OnlyFans, allowing them to locate and remove the image, including AI-generated content.

Abigail Beccacio advises that if your child becomes a victim:

1. Report the crime to the FBI immediately

2. Seek victim services

3. Reassure your child that they are not to blame

4. Provide necessary emotional support

10. How can I create a safer digital environment at home?

Fareedah Shaheed, Internet Safety Expert and Advocate, suggests: Focus on being a safe and approachable resource for your children. Establish trust, create fun and positive digital experiences together, and teach empathy and accountability.

According to her, predators don’t like to prey on children who have a healthy relationship with their parents and the internet.