Fear vs Facts: Why Children Benefit from AI Companions
AI is prevalent across every field, both positively and negatively, depending on its use. From children to adults, both are benefiting from artificial intelligence. While AI speeds up adults’ routine tasks and boosts businesses’ ROI, it also makes children feel less lonely. However, overlicensing always comes with a cost, and it also happens in AI cases.
It reduced human interaction and increased fear of inappropriate access to content. It boosted the chances of fake content and misleading information on the internet. It’s ruining human psychology and building narratives that, in some cases, are entirely unacceptable for maintaining a healthy society.
The reason is that the AI doesn’t have emotions and does not go through what humans actually do. That’s why its emotional profile isn’t relatable, and its advice isn’t based on experience or cultural exposure. It also elevates the privacy concerns and manipulation risks. Now, emerging cultural anxieties are rising around “machines replacing relationships”
The Facts: Evidence of Positive Impact
Now, numerous studies have examined children’s use of artificial intelligence, showing that it affects them in two ways. Using AI chatbots, children feel safe sharing everything they observe and think without hesitation. They don’t have to fear that someone judging them will label them as a good or bad child.
They feel more secure because these chatbots are readily available and offer emotional support. Similarly, studies show that AI feels the best option for neurodiverse and isolated children who are not extroverted, speak rarely, and can’t talk about their emotions with a human.
AI is also helping children with language practice by providing easy access to global news. It acts like a mentor in every field of life, guiding them in subject selection, career choices, and what is necessary to achieve their goals. It’s actually a full-time guide without a single penny. It helps children solve problems in both their personal lives and academics.
Children using AI feel more confident because they don’t have to listen to “No,” and it doesn’t scold them. This behaviour gives them the thought that they and their opinion are worthy and meaningful. They get their questions answered with high respect and dignity, along with appreciation, every time. That’s quite rare in human cases.
The Human Cost of Bans
Although numerous laws are trying to ban the use of AI for children, as with older character AI, analysts say it might redirect children to unsafe alternatives. They warned that children may seek unmoderated, unauthorised options to overcome challenges. It may result in your child landing on fishy sites or apps and losing their security and data.
Especially for socially isolated children, loss of supportive tools may make them more vulnerable to severe health and mental issues. They may seek other ways to express their catharsis, including bad company or other means. An AI restriction will also result in missed learning opportunities for the children. It will push them to lose creativity.
So, rather than banning AI for children, there should be built-in safeguards in each AI tool. Parental control options play a valuable role in providing children with controlled access. Companies should introduce transparency features, especially for children under 18, along with responsive ethical frameworks.
Besides this, in institutions and homes, parents and teachers should educate children about safe and healthy AI use. Our children should know when they can trust AI guidelines and when they cannot. When they see that it’s a robot and that, with just a minor technical fault, it can give them wrong info, they will convince themselves that they have to use AI for enjoyment and productivity rather than committing suicide on AI advice.
