What do you think about AI when it comes to childhood development?

We live in the days of talk of AI taking over, and I think it's a good conversation for everyone involved with AI to weigh in on.

AI has been on my radar on a business level for a couple of years because I've worked in an industry that was in the front lines of implementing it. I've seen the impact of it being adopted too quickly, or not at all.

And now we are seeing the impact of introducing AI to children, and the impact it can have on juvenile development.

The science doesn't look good, which is why I think it's good to have a stance, right or wrong, on how to approach AI and childhood development in the near future.

Here's my thoughts:

AI is brilliant. It's intuitive, powerful, and seductive. But after a full year of working closely with AI, I’m convinced: It’s not for children. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

 

The Tools We Hand to Children Shape Their Minds

We don’t give scalpels to toddlers or hand over car keys at twelve.

Why? Because the power of a tool doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for developing minds.

AI, when left unregulated or unexamined in the hands of children, can:

  • Short-circuit learning pathways
  • Erode patience for problem-solving
  • Reduce the discomfort that teaches resilience
  • Replace discovery with instant, prefab answers

Let’s be clear: I’m not anti-tech, but I am pro-development.

 

Foundational Skills Aren’t Optional

Children need:

  • Repetition
  • Boredom
  • Struggle
  • Tactile, real-world cause-and-effect
  • Human-to-human interaction

AI gives fast answers. Children need slow growth.

When you introduce shortcuts too early, you risk weakening the very muscles they’re meant to build.

 

The Myth of “Digital Natives”

Some people argue: “Kids are better with tech. They grew up with it.”

Sure, they may swipe faster. But that doesn’t mean they understand what’s under the hood — or the consequences.

Tech comfort ≠ tech maturity.

Being able to prompt a chatbot doesn’t mean a child has discernment.

And worse, their AI may speak with the confidence of an adult, while still being wrong.

That’s a dangerous combo for a developing brain.

 

AI is a Master’s Tool

After a year of building with AI, here’s what I now believe:

AI works best when paired with discernment, discipline, and direction.

Those qualities are earned through experience, not downloaded through osmosis.

AI is not a substitute for wisdom. It is a mirror, a tool, and a collaborator — once you’ve built the self to wield it.

 

Let Kids Build the Self First

Before AI steps in as a helper, kids should:

  • Write with their own hand
  • Imagine without templates
  • Create without autocomplete
  • Learn to ask better questions
  • Sit in silence and think

Let them build their own internal processors first.

 

So What’s the Alternative?

Use AI with children, not for them.

  • Make it collaborative (“Let’s write a story together”)
  • Add adult scaffolding
  • Focus on ethics, critical thinking, and media literacy
  • Treat it as a lab, not a lifestyle


In Conclusion: Don’t Rush the Circuit

Not every new invention belongs in childhood. AI is no different.

Let’s not burn down the neural wiring in our rush to plug them in. Let them run, get bored, imagine, and try.

Then, when they’re ready, hand them the tools. But not before.

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