This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Adam Lyons, partner and chief AI officer at chiefAIofficer.com. It has been edited for length and clarity.
As a dad of five kids ranging in age from 5 to 15, I use AI throughout the day. It’s my profession, but it’s also a powerful tool for parenting. It not only makes my life easier in some ways — it also helps my kids prepare for the world they’re entering.
AI is inevitable. I like to tell people, “You’re not going to lose your job to AI.” But you will lose it to a person using AI. AI is the tool that’s going to shape our future, so I’ve integrated it into our household.
AI helps with homeschooling
I homeschool all five of my kids. I try to follow the Ancient Greek model of education, where you learn, you do, you teach. My kids learn a skill and practice it, then they demonstrate their knowledge by teaching it to their siblings.
Courtesy of Adam Lyons
If the little kids get stuck on a problem, they ask the older kids for help. But if the older kids can’t help, they turn to AI. All of the kids have AI on their phones and tablets, and it acts as their tutor.
This is most powerful when the kids get very frustrated with a problem — the type of problem that makes them want to throw their hands up and say, “No one can figure this out.” In that moment, AI can guide them through solving the problem, showing them that it can be done.
AI enhances kids’ problem-solving
In our house, “Have you asked AI for assistance?” is a common refrain. It doesn’t just happen with schoolwork, either.
Recently, the electronic gate on our ranch broke. No one in the family knew how to fix it, so we used AI to walk us through buying a multimeter and testing the electronics. It became a family project, and we all learned a lot. We’ve also used AI — followed by a trip to Home Depot — to fix our HVAC system.
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People worry that AI will hinder problem-solving, but I’m teaching my kids to use it creatively to enhance their problem-solving. I don’t think it’s too different from learning from another person.
I use AI at bedtime and when the kids are arguing
Like many kids, mine love to ask a million questions at bedtime. I’ll answer the first three or four “but why?” questions, then I hand it over to AI. The computer system has relentless energy to answer questions from even the most persistent kid, and my children usually get tired out after a few minutes.
I do the same thing when the kids are arguing. Sometimes, I’ll ask AI for a second opinion. It leads to good conversations about objective facts versus opinions, and how we’re influenced by the arguments we hear.
AI is important — but so is screen-free time
The biggest difference between humans and AI is that humans can think creatively. I want my kids to know how to step outside the box.
My 15-year-old is working on a capstone project, creating a video game. He’s using AI to do it, but he has about four different AI models involved. Using all those unique tools, he’s able to build a game that’s better than the sum of its parts. That’s what I want my kids to understand about AI: It’s most powerful in our hands.
As we integrate AI into our lives, we also require some screen-free time. The kids spend time outside without electronics. Recently, they entertained themselves by swimming during that block, and the younger kids invented a new dice game that kept them entertained for days.
Not getting the kids outside would be a mistake. But so too would shielding them from AI. By integrating it into their lives, I’m equipping them for their futures.
