With technology, the youth are getting more exposed to the latest updates of the world.

Siri, Alexa, Grammarly, Tesla self-driving cars, ChatGPT, oh my! Imagine being so fortunate to be born in the 21st century, surrounded by robots that contain some degree of “sentience” that lessen the hassles of life. A robot you can speak to and command? Task done. An app that writes for you on prompt? Task done. A car that drives you to any place with you not having to move your hands around? Task done.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Artificial Intelligence. Our future — a world of opportunity because your tasks get done effectively.

The problem with AI

Yes, AI has benefits but there is also a downside to it.

Since the youth are the ones frequently exposed to AI, they tend to use it to their advantage. But what if these “advantages” are simply that which may impede on their development due to their reliance on an artificial mind?

Many teachers and parents are worried that their children are becoming more dependent on AI when it comes to schoolwork. Whatever happened to sitting down to think of an essay? What about surfing the net for research? Will ChatGPT do all the work? Will Grammarly be the one to count on for grammar skills? How will kids learn to think for themselves through these tasks if they simply rely on a robot to do it for them?

Same goes for safety. No matter how accurate the tracking device of a Tesla car may be, at the end of the day, it is still a machine. Relying too much on its navigation could lead to accidents. AI filtering content online may allow certain distressing content to slip through, even in minor and child-oriented websites, which could cause problems in the psyche of an impressionable mind that just wanted entertainment.

Lastly, AI could remove traditions and identities that should be preserved and passed on by this generation. Imagine if everybody started using AI to create art. What will happen to the traditional oil and watercolor painting skills? If people just relied on Siri for conversations, how would they respond to a living, breathing human? And last, if every skill, talent and word got handed over to a robot that simply emulates what it sees, how can children learn to think individually and creatively? How can they keep their human identities while improving their lives with AI?

Don’t delete

Wait! Before thinking AI is bad, the real issue to be pondered on is how to use it. It takes patience and skills to use it wisely, just like with the inventions of the past.

Instead of being passive, mentors and parents should be involved and supportive of their children’s investment and use of AI. Teachers should encourage students to ask questions about this technology and schools could implement programs to teach students passionate about AI. Schoolwork should also be monitored for any reliance on AI to preserve learning.

It should be made clear that a robot should not be a replacement for technical skill.

Parents should also be involved with their children’s tech usage. An AI is still a robot and isn’t in full control of what it interacts with, so it merely filters what it is programmed. Mistakes are bound to happen. Parents should be the ones choosing and monitoring what their children interact with and play with to avoid anything that could negatively impact such pliant minds.

Lastly, encouragement of learning through AI and not depending on it should be encouraged. It should be okay for young people to use AI prompts for writing, art and interaction, but it should be emphasized that these are only for ideas and should be integrated and refined in your own creations. That way, human and machine can work hand-in-hand while retaining individuality and uniqueness.

It sure is a wilder world now, but it should be remembered that with new inventions comes challenges and adjustment. If we know how to use AI to add to our knowledge and wisdom as humans, then, it shouldn’t be branded as taboo. As long as we all know as an intelligent species that we can get the task done in the right way, AI can still be seen in a positive light.