Do your kids think nothing of walking into the house and confidently saying, “Alexa, turn on the den lights”? If that feels weird, just stay tuned, because artificial intelligence (AI) is only going to get bigger — and it’s your job to prepare your kids for their futures.
The Future for Artificial Intelligence and Homes
According to cybersecurity expert Joseph Steinberg, AI is growing by leaps and bounds. “We can’t imagine how advanced things can be in 50 years,” he says. Whereas some advanced technologies are still just theoretical, artificial intelligence is real. It’s already here. And, says Steinberg, “it’s getting better and better.
AI is going to play a big role in houses specifically. Steinberg says, “Every house is smart. A house can know who you are — a house can see that you are healthy.
A Forbes article by Andrew Weinreich describes AI as computing power that can complete activities which would otherwise call for a human brain. A smart home, then, would think like a human, analyzing factors such as how many people are in the house and what they’re doing in order to make decisions.
Weinreich explains the cloud would have a certain level of intelligence to watch you and anticipate your needs by doing things such as scheduling workout classes, setting an alarm clock and ordering groceries
It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but 50 years from now, it could very well be the norm.
Should You Prepare Your Kids?
As a parent, should you be preparing your kids to use these technologies that might run their lives one day? Absolutely.
“You can bet it’s important for your children to know how to use these devices,” Steinberg says. “What parents should know is that AI will play a huge role in their kids’ lives.”
And for young children, Steinberg points out, AI already does play a role in their lives. It’s normal; it’s what they’ve grown up with. “My daughter remembers Alexa as long as she’s been alive,” Steinberg says. “To her, it’s normal to talk to a device. Parents have to keep in mind this is as normal as a refrigerator is to us.”
Many parents tend to steer their kids away from technology. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; after all, many studies have shown the detriments of too much technology. But ignoring technology altogether would be an even worse idea.
Experts say schools should integrate technology into classrooms to prepare kids for their future careers. Technology, though, is going to be more prevalent in the home, not just the workplace, and it’s the parents’ job to prep kids for that
“[Kids] are going to have to deal with these things,” Steinberg says. “You can’t say this is too dangerous to use… you just can’t ignore them.”
Let your kids use Alexa. Let them tinker around on Chromebook. Let them dream and ask questions about robots. Because one day soon, that might just be their reality
Sources:
Joseph Steinberg
Forbes article
PublicSource article
EdSurge article