A Conundrum in Morality: Teaching My Daughter About Artificial Intelligence

I work as an IT consultant and independent game developer, so I'm constantly surrounded by cutting edge technology. Ten-year-old my daughter, who wants to make games, has lately started asking questions about artificial intelligence. She has always been interested in my work, but this topic started a more in-depth conversation full of opposing viewpoints and moral dilemmas.

Phase I

Working on our video game project, she approached me one evening and asked, "Dad, what's AI?" I saw an opening to give her something novel and engaging. We sat down, and I dissected artificial intelligence (AI) into its constituent pieces, applications, and prospects going forward. I showed her how AI may create music, write novels, and even create lifelike characters for video games.

She was completely enthralled, although as we went on, a nagging concern started to follow me. AI raises serious ethical issues even if it is a very strong and beneficial technology. Must we depend on AI to finish jobs that are doable by humans? How will this effect innovation and jobs?

Moral Confusion

As we talked, I started to wonder about the moral ramifications. Educating her in AI meant introducing her to a tool that may be both highly helpful and harmful. By giving her creations more life and engagement, artificial intelligence (AI) has the ability to enhance them. Conversely, if it makes her creative output seem less authentic and individualised, it can lessen its importance.

I fought these concepts, trying to find a way to encourage her creativity without sacrificing her education. Am I giving her a head start for the future or am I sending her down a path where computers handle most of the work?

From Her Perspective

I asked her about AI as our last question. I think it's cheating, she said in a very straightforward way.

What use then is it? If a machine handles all the laborious tasks, she asked. No, I would much prefer design my own games than let a computer execute them.

I related strongly to what she said. In her opinion, game design was a very creative and labor-intensive process. To her, AI was a short-cut, a means of avoiding the need to learn and grow by starting from scratch.

Inviting a Discussion

Even now, following our conversation, I still don't get anything. How should the moral issues brought up by artificial intelligence be taken into account while teaching the next generation about the technology? How may we value their ideas and work while yet helping them to value innovation?

Other parents in a similar situation, please contact me. Are your children asking or using artificial intelligence? Their reaction was what? How do you weigh the ethical issues of such powerful technology at your disposal? Would you perhaps share some tips or stories?

Join the discussion and relate your experiences. How can we educate our children to value themselves and their own special contributions in an AI-dominated future while yet getting them ready for the workforce of the future? Please share with the rest of us your opinions on this complex topic; it would be much appreciated.