AI’s Seven Sins & Parental Wisdom
That time has come again! During dinner, our daughter sits at her small desk, playing with colored pencils and paper with remarkable determination. Beside her, my wife and I watch while reading books, and the familiar hum of the microwave fills the air. But now, in this familiar landscape, smartphone screens and tablets have also taken their place. Artificial intelligence has now infiltrated our daily lives, and as parents, we find ourselves wondering what to do. Recently, while learning about AI’s ‘seven sins,’ I had a realization—these technical challenges surprisingly resemble the dilemmas we face as parents in raising our children!
First Sin: Rushed Tech Adoption and Unverified Data – How Does This Affect Digital Parenting?
If our daughter is at that age now, everything is amazing and wants to explore! “Why is the sky blue?”, “Can’t I draw this picture like this?” The endless questions are moments when her curiosity shines brightly!
In the AI world, this is similar to hasty mergers and unverified data contracts. Companies are adopting technologies that haven’t been fully verified for the reason of ‘not falling behind in competition.’ As parents, we’re also easily tempted by the same temptation! Thinking “Our child can’t start later than other friends?”, we end up providing unnecessary learning apps or excessive digital content for our daughter who is still too young.
But true wisdom lies in letting your child explore the world at their own pace. When we ‘choose data’ in the digital world, we should take our time and carefully consider content suitable for our daughter’s developmental stage. This way, we can grow as parents who make wise choices that match our child’s growth, rather than simply following the latest technology!
Second Sin: Blind Governance and Lost Human Judgment – Are We Letting Technology Replace Parental Instinct?
Whenever I see my daughter playing with friends at the nearby park, I’m always moved. It’s amazing how true learning happens in these unstructured moments!
In the AI world, this means ‘blind governance’ and loss of human judgment. Some doctors even trust AI diagnostic results more than their own clinical experience. As parents, we’re also easily tempted by this! “What this app says must be right,” we entrust everything to digital tools, or “The educational method recommended by AI must be the best,” we follow it more than expert advice.
But the one who knows our child best is us! Digital tools can be useful assistants, but at critical moments, our parental instincts and observation skills are needed. When our daughter is too absorbed in the smartphone screen, simply saying “Your time limit is up” might not be the healthiest option. Suggesting “How about playing together with toys now?” could be a better alternative. Technology is just a tool; humans should make the decisions!
Third Sin: Unbalanced Tech Dependence and Laziness – Are We Raising Passive Digital Children?
When I was young, my parents told me to calculate myself and find my way by looking at a map. That experience still helps me now. Nowadays, when children encounter problems, they immediately search for solutions. This is similar to the ‘laziness’ mentioned in the AI world. Engineers use code written by Copilot without verification, or students assign their homework to AI.
As parents, we have the responsibility to reduce this temptation for our daughter. Digital tools can be great helpers, but they don’t do everything for you! When our daughter draws, instead of saying “Try using the colors recommended by AI,” it’s better to ask “What’s your favorite color?”. Just as the problem-solving process is important, the process of acquiring knowledge is precious too!
We need to help our daughter learn to think for herself, experience directly, and solve problems creatively while using technology. What if we saw technology not as a replacement for thinking, but as a tool to boost our thinking abilities? Technology can make us smarter, but it can’t replace our ability to think for ourselves!
The Path to Balanced Digital Parenting – Finding Harmony Between Technology and Human Values
One of our daughter’s favorite activities is growing vegetables in our small garden! By touching soil, planting seeds, watering and waiting, she learns patience and responsibility. This is the balance needed in the digital world too.
The key to avoiding AI’s seven sins is finding balance. It’s about using technology without losing sight of our human values.
When our daughter uses digital devices, we should pay attention to not just how long she uses them, but “how” she’s using them! We can help by watching educational content together and having conversations, or utilizing it for creative projects. Sometimes I show our daughter pictures created by AI and ask “How do you think this part was made?” to nurture her creativity.
As parents in the digital age, we must find a wise path that uses technology’s potential while being aware of its risks! That path lies in harmoniously connecting technology with human values. Our role is to guide our daughter, helping her grow into someone who thinks for herself, empathizes, and becomes a creative problem-solver in this digital world!