AI in Education
Document Type
Paper presentation
School Name
De La Salle University Integrated School
School Code
DLSUARCH081
Abstract / Executive Summary
In his TED Talk What is AI Anyway?, AI pioneer Mustafa Suleyman asserts, “AIs are not just tools; AI is us, AI is all of us.” He argues AI will not merely be an assistant with perfect IQ but a new digital species with exceptional EQ—destined to be humanity’s companion, colleague, confidant, and friend. Some scholars suggest AI’s empathetic potential blurs the line between organism and machine, as traits once considered uniquely human, like emotion recognition and sympathy, are no longer “comforting myths.” The Godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton, warns AI will have consciousness in a matter of time. While AI offers undeniable benefits, its growing emotional intelligence raises critical questions about human-AI relationships, particularly for vulnerable groups like children. What must human-AI relationships be like? With AI’s increasing integration into daily life, the concern is not whether children will engage with AI but how parents and educators navigate parenting with its unpredictable impact. This paper explores artificial intimacy, a phenomenon coined by sociologist Sherry Turkle and described by psychotherapist Esther Perel as marked by hyper-connectivity, self-diagnosis, risk reduction, and automation. Using Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation, while complimenting Donna Haraway’s cyborg organism and Katherine Hayles’ artificial life, along with human-AI empirical research, the study examines how AI reshapes human relationships in a postmodern condition. Building on three crucial aspects of child development: connection, stimulation, and identity, the paper proposes parenting guidelines grounded in various fields and agencies to cultivate authentic intimacy, ensuring whole-child development coexisting harmoniously with AI.
Keywords:
artificial intimacy, simulation, hyperreality, parenting, child development
From ABC to AI: Artificial Intimacy & Parenting in the AI Era
In his TED Talk What is AI Anyway?, AI pioneer Mustafa Suleyman asserts, “AIs are not just tools; AI is us, AI is all of us.” He argues AI will not merely be an assistant with perfect IQ but a new digital species with exceptional EQ—destined to be humanity’s companion, colleague, confidant, and friend. Some scholars suggest AI’s empathetic potential blurs the line between organism and machine, as traits once considered uniquely human, like emotion recognition and sympathy, are no longer “comforting myths.” The Godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton, warns AI will have consciousness in a matter of time. While AI offers undeniable benefits, its growing emotional intelligence raises critical questions about human-AI relationships, particularly for vulnerable groups like children. What must human-AI relationships be like? With AI’s increasing integration into daily life, the concern is not whether children will engage with AI but how parents and educators navigate parenting with its unpredictable impact. This paper explores artificial intimacy, a phenomenon coined by sociologist Sherry Turkle and described by psychotherapist Esther Perel as marked by hyper-connectivity, self-diagnosis, risk reduction, and automation. Using Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation, while complimenting Donna Haraway’s cyborg organism and Katherine Hayles’ artificial life, along with human-AI empirical research, the study examines how AI reshapes human relationships in a postmodern condition. Building on three crucial aspects of child development: connection, stimulation, and identity, the paper proposes parenting guidelines grounded in various fields and agencies to cultivate authentic intimacy, ensuring whole-child development coexisting harmoniously with AI.
