AI tools like CHATGPT are not only coming in handy for homework assignments (don’t judge, please!), they are also offering both practical advice and emotional support.
Five-year old Anisha ran to her mother for help with a drawing a decent unicorn. “Please show me an easy way.” So the mother decided to ask her trusted parenting partner, CHATGPT. A few seconds later the mother followed the steps suggested by the AI app and helped Anisha draw a beautiful unicorn which she put up in her room. “CHATGPT is my secret genie.”
One would have imagined that Indian parents, who are always trying to restrict their kid’s screen time and reminiscing about the good ol’ days when students went to libraries or looked up encyclopedias, would steer clear of artificial intelligence. But the opposite is happening, experts say. Like many moms and dads across the world, Indian parents are bitten by the AI bug. From asking Meta AI about how to deal with the multiple night waking of their baby to seeking CHATGPT’s help with preschool projects and research for higher grades and even venting about their daily struggles with non-cooperative kids, parents say artificial intelligence is their trusted advisor, assistant, confidante and companion rolled into one.
HOMEWORK HELPER:
CHATGPT seems to have become a parent’s best homework helper. Need to make your son solve an equation but can’t think of an easy way? Ask CHATGPT. Need to help your daughter write an Independence Day speech about the freedom struggle? Ask Meta AI to write it for you. The ninth edition of the Global Online Safety Survey by Microsoft revealed that 65% of Indians use generative AI in 2024, which is more than twice the global average. “Support with schoolwork’ was among the top reasons for use of AI.
81% of Indian parents would be comfortable taking the help of robot nannies to help their kids do homework compared to the global average of 66% who would do so. Apart from Indians, only Chinese parents expressed similar comfort.
“Some chemistry concepts are too complicated. I asked CHATGPT to give us a simplified version which we could remember, retain, and use in writing the papers.”
AI is a great tool to help a child understand lessons better and enhance the academic performance.”
POSTPARTUM PARTNER:
Moms with newborns say that while they would hesitate to call a friend or relative at 3 am to ask why their baby won’t stop crying. AI helps them with instant advice at any hour. “I use AI for whatever doubts I have.”
CHATGPT gave me some very good suggestions.
TANTRUM TAMER:
AI has become “a partner in the emotional and psychological work of parenting, one that can help us cultivate greater self-awareness, empathy, and resilience in ourselves and our children.”
Most parents who have used AI chatbots for advice on managing tantrums, meltdowns, and teen drama seem to agree.
Meta AI is like having a personal, non-judgmental therapist at your fingertips. The IEEE survey had also found that 83% of Indian’s parents are likely to use an AI chatbot to diagnose their sick child in the future. Parents say they are already doing this. “If I Google the symptoms faced by my child, I end up scouring sites for hours. AI gives me a potential diagnosis in seconds.
SILENT OBSERVER:
While a section of parents is using AI to their advantage, some are still wary of its use. “While the benefits of AI are tremendous and it saves time for educators and counselors like me, it has robbed the generation of creativity. The whole essence of research, including the use of physical texts, encyclopaedias and even basic Google search is lost entirely. I have students who submit entirely plagiarized and AI generated essays, without even reading it once.”
AI is “like a silent observer” tracking all our activities, searches, and even emotions. “I feel the disadvantages are more than the advantages.” The frequent incidents of deepfakes, scams, online abuse, and hallucinations has also made parents like Grover concerned about the adverse impact of AI.
